Tag: Denver music

REVIEW – KAITLYN WILLIAMS SURPRISES WITH UNDER THESE LIGHTS

As a talent buyer, I yearn for a solid live representation of an artist or band. As a record “collector” and radio show producer, I LOVE and typically much prefer studio albums.

NOTE to musicians: Most people I chat with also prefer a solid live representation before deciding whether to spend money to see an unknown artist or band live.

Studio albums have detail and nuances not ordinarily evident in live records. Live albums are hard to produce, and often disastrous; without studio overdubs they often show every minute flaw in individual performances. Most live music video performances are often worse, for lack of proper professional video production among other things.

Kaitlyn Williams showed up on Denver’s open mic circuit about 2016. It wasn’t long before Denver’s Wes Watkins “discovered” her and invited her to be a part of his band, The Other Black. Seemingly, that’s all it took for the burgeoning pop/neo-soul songstress to gain the confidence she needed to go it alone with her own band.

Kaitlyn released her debut, Sunset, not long after in 2019. Songs like Rain and the title track Sunset revealed a songwriter and singer many years more polished and mature than the mediocrity that too often flows through my studio monitors.

Enter “Under These Lights,” the new LIVE album from Kaitlyn.

Kaitlyn walks a fine line between youthful pop and more sophisticated adult oriented neo-soul. She scores on both counts. Recorded live at the Lodge at Woods Boss Brewing in Denver, the intimate small room was the perfect space for the enthusiastic Kaitlyn and her fans (evidence fully displayed in the title track, the first full song in the show).

It takes some pretty major emotional fortitude to release a live album, especially one with music and performances as sophisticated and intimate as displayed Under These Lights. It may have felt great on stage, but what would the recording sound like? After all it was a live recording, which are often known for glaring deficiencies.

In this case Kaitlyn must have felt exuberant upon hearing it, because Under These Lights is a major league homerun among Colorado releases in 2022.

In a market crowed with potential pop/R&B/soul star power, Kaitlyn has more than earned her place with easily the best live album to come out of Denver in the past sixteen years of the Colorado Playlist.

NOTABLE TRACKS: #6 The Truth, #8 Don’t Blink

CP S16 EP15 2022

The Colorado Playlist – Expressly and explicitly Colorado from the 60s to Today – From the biggest hits by the biggest hitmakers and award winners in Colorado music history to some some of the freshest new music emerging from the Centennial State.

APRIL 24 2022 – Yep, On the Road AGAIN! Good morning from Prescott, AZ. I launched a new feature this morning = LIVE MUSIC VENUES on the FRONT RANGE

Hope you enjoyed this week’s show. Next week’s show, April 30- May 06 2022, is a SPECIAL – COLORADO MUSIC HALL OF FAME 2011-2022. Next new music episode is tentatively scheduled for May 07-13 2022. Depends on when I get back and if I need a break 😉

Since I tabulate spins on Sundays, there is no TOP 5 this week. There will be a TOP 30 for the month when I return.

On APRIL 16 1974, Queen made their US debut, opening for Mott the Hoople at Regis College (now Regis University) in Denver. This week I honored that special show with cuts from both bands – but this time Mott the Hoople opens for Queen in the set.

I recently searched for “famous singers in Colorado.” Frankly, the results amazed me. I have known about Sons of the Pioneers for many many years, and grew up watching Gunsmoke on black and white television. I had no idea that Ken Curtis was the lead singer of Sons of the Pioneers, nor did I know he played Festus on Gunsmoke in the 50s and 60s.

Another name that popped up in that search was Annaleigh Ashford, who’s appeared on Broadway in Kinky Boots and won a Tony Award for her work in You Can’t Take It With You. She also stars in B-Positive.

Thanks to Starr’s Guitars, LiveMusicColorado.com and Spinitron for their promotional and financial support of the show. The Colorado Playlist is provided free of charge to the stations that broadcast it. It relies on donations. Please donate. It does help to defray the costs in maintaining the show.

MONDAY MORNING MUSIC MEETING (MMMM)

HOUR 1

Mott the Hoople – All the Young Dudes – All the Young Dudes (1972)
Queen – Keep Yourself Alive – Queen (1973)
(D) Juno Rossa – Wish You Would – Die Trying EP (2022)

Dressy Bessy – I’m Still Here (2021)
Deep Pocket Thieves – I Love You – Blu De (2018)
Judy Collins – When I Was A Girl In Colorado (2022)
Bluebook – Shake Shake – Shake Shake (2022)
Gregory Alan Isakov – Living Proof – The Weatherman (2013)
Rob Drabkin – Little Steps (2013)
(D) mlady – Magnifying Glass (2022)

Strange Americans – Big Black Car – Borrow You, Brother (2017)
Del Shamen – Come Back Mountain Jill – Del Shamen (2020)
David Bernot – No Problems – Neverending Cycle (2022)

HOUR 2

Sons of the Pioneers – Tumblin’ Tumbleweeds (1944)
Annaleigh Ashford – Theme from B-Positive (2021)
(D) Alysia Kraft – Little River – First Light(2022)

The 89s – Apple Of My Eye – Wash Away (2020)
Leftover Salmon & Cracker – Lonesome Johnny Blues – Oh Cracker, Where Art Thou? (2003)
Megan Burtt & Joel Ansett – Good Dream (2022)
A-Mac & The Height – Smile – Season of Learning (2022)
Acoustic Junction – Oh Me Oh My – Strange Days (2000)
Railbenders – Southbound – Southbound (2001)
Dragondeer – Patient Boy (2021)
(D) A.J. Fullerton x Eddie Roberts – Good Times (2022)

The Reminders – Dust and Bones – Unstoppable (2019)
The Burroughs – Love and Unity (2020)
Steve Kovalcheck, Peter Sommer, Paul Romaine, Ken Walker – Shoot the Moon – Ghost Orchid (2022)

featuring  LiveMusicMegaSearch™

CP S16 EP14 2022

The Colorado Playlist – Expressly and explicitly Colorado from the 60s to Today – From the biggest hits by the biggest hitmakers and award winners in Colorado music history to some some of the freshest new music emerging from the Centennial State.

Monday APRIL 18, 2022 – April. April is a big month in my life it seems. I was conceived in April. I was discharged from the USAF in April. It was April when I landed in Roswell, New Mexico, where I lasted four months before the heat got to me and I re-landed in Northern Colorado with a blown engine; but that’s another story. In April 2006 I started the Colorado Playlist.

Thank you for listening all these years.

Not much new in the TOP 5 this week, with only JYEMO CLUB feat the Reminders moving up to #5. The rest stays the same with the Lumineers and Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats holding steady at 1 and 2.

New music in the MMMM this week from Bolonium, who say “the world is full of Bolonium,” a play on the old saying that the world is full of bologna – and if you have to ask what that is… well. I will say it’s one of the more “original” (unique / outside-of-the-box) songs I’ve played lately – let me know what you think = I like it, MEH it’s ok, or I don’t like it – below.

Byron Parker is mostly well known in Denver for his work in the noise-rock trio Accordion Crimes – check out his latest called Holy Smokes – part of a three song EP he just put out. Thanks to Kramies for turning me onto Byron’s new music.

Jessica Sonner shows up this week with a new single. She does that about once a year it seems.

Thanks to Starr’s Guitars, LiveMusicColorado.com and Spinitron for their promotional and financial support of the show. The Colorado Playlist is provided free of charge to the stations that broadcast it. It relies on donations. Please donate. It does help to defray the costs in maintaining the show.

TOP 5 WEEKLY COLORADO SPINS

Spin data pulled from the Colorado Playlist, 105.5 The Colorado Sound, Indie 102.3 and eleven stations that use playlist generator Spinitron, designed to benefit non-commercial community/public and college radio stations and offering advanced search functions for artists and agents.

Each title came out between April 2021 and April 2022. Links go to their respective YouTube page if available.

  1. THE LUMINEERS – Brightside LP
  2. NATHANIEL RATELIFF & THE NIGHTSWEATS – The Future LP
  3. GEORGE CESSNA – Lucky Rider LP
  4. THE ORIGINAL iLLs – Juanita LP
  5. JYEMO CLUB – Issa Ting (feat. the Reminders) SINGLE

MONDAY MORNING MUSIC MEETING

HOUR 1

Dean Reed – Our Summer Romance (1960)
The Astronauts – Baja (1963)
(D) Julian Fulco Perron – Not So Fast – In My Garden (2022)
Last Call Romance – If It’s the Last Thing That I Do – Double Funeral, Vol. 1 EP (2020)
Greensky Bluegrass – Past My Prime – Shouted, Written Down & Quoted (2016)
Scott Kinsey and Mer Sal – Heart of Glass – Adjustments (2021)
The Copper Children – Pity Party – Strange Illusion (2022)
Chris Daniels & The Kings – Roadhouse Music – When You’re Cool (1987)
Freddi Henchi Band – Get Up Off the Funk – Freddi Henchi Band (1981)
(D) Bolonium – Level Up – Leftovers (2022)

Andy Monley – All Hail – Triplight (2006)
David William’s Trickster Carousel – Cradle to the Grave – Snake Oil (2021)
Jason Klobnak Quintet – It Won’t Return Void – New Chapter (2015)

HOUR 2

The Monocles/The Higher Elevation– The Diamond Mine – The Spider, The Fly & The Boogie Man (1964)
The Moonrakers – I’m All Right – Anthology (1964)
(D) Byron Parker – Holy Smokes – 3 Consecutive Championships EP (2022)

The Crooked Rugs – Let Me Down – IT! (2021)
The Still Tide – High Wire – Run Out (2017)
One Flew West – Holes In My Jeans (2022)
Big Gigantic x GRIZ – Open Your Mind (2022)
The Apples In Stereo – Ruby – Her Wallpaper Reverie (1999)
Velveteen Monster – 88 Constellations – The Original Soundtrack Recording Of (1999)
Alexa Wildish – Magic Hours – Alexa Wildish EP (2020)
(D) Jessica Sonner – Keep On Dreaming (2022)

DeVotchKa – Contrabanda – 100 Lovers (2011)
Jeremy Facknitz – Little Devils – From Those Sweet Ashes (2020)
Steve Kovalcheck, Peter Sommer, Paul Romaine, Ken Walker – Homecoming – Ghost Orchid (2022)

THIS WEEK ON YOUTUBE

featuring  LiveMusicMegaSearch™