Tag: Fort Collins

The Colorado Sound – S8 EP8 March 2014

SpokesBuzz Fort Collins logoThe Colorado Sound is supported by SpokesBUZZ, a  Colorado 501C3 with a mission to AMPLIFY THE COLORADO MUSIC SCENE, DEVELOP OUR PROFESSIONAL ARTISTS, PROMOTE COLORADO AS A PROGRESSIVE CULTURAL DESTINATION, and GROW LOCAL ECONOMIES.  Please visit the website for information on bands that SpokesBUZZ supports, as well as shows and more.  www.spokesbuzz.org.

THE COLORADO SOUND PRESENTS  

The Colorado Sound is also supported by the Mishawaka Amphitheatre … where on April 3 The Colorado Sound presents the Garrett Sayers Trio.  Tickets at www.themishawaka.com

chrisk w new hatThis is one of those weeks when both the weekly post and the monthly News Notes & Spins column are on the same weekend .. .and the truth is, I should have had the News Notes and Spins done already, but other more pressing business slowed me down a day or two …. or three…..

This week’s show features two brand new releases from Euforquestra and Tallgrass.  Both bands are originally from Iowa, as is Mike Finders from Finnders & Youngberg bluegrass band, and Jeff Brinkman and his cellist Ben Davis.  I’m not sure what that says about Iowa.  The guys in Tallgrass  are friends with Mike Tallman and other members of Euforquestra, who moved to Fort Collins several years ago now.

Sorry, no new music shares this week.  None of the acts with new music have Bandcamp pages set up for those releases yet. 😦

Video Pick of the Week:

I can’t wait to hear a full length with this incredible voice.  

PLAYLIST S8 EP8 MARCH 2014

The Apples in Stereo “Ruby” from Her Wallpaper Reverie (1999)
Martha’s Wake “Razor Blade Girl” from Time & Elements (1998)
(N) Jane Thatcher Band “Twister In the Dark” from Hunter’s Loneliest Fool (2014)
The Wild After “Lesson Learned” from Lesson Learned EP (2014)
Andy Palmer “Good Son” from Hazard of the Die (2013)
Ryan Chrys “The Road Never Ends” from A Lick & A Promise (2013)
(N) Cowboy Dave “Driven Man” from Driven Man (2014)
(N) Dave and the Gin Mill Gypsies “Honey Do List” from Dave and The Gin Mill Gypsies (2014)
Congress “Loretta” from The Congress (2010)
Cassie Taylor “Out of My Mind” from Out Of My Mind (2013)
Bad Weather California “I’ll Reach Out My Hand” from Sunkissed (2012)
The Belle Jar “Big Black World” from Fall Systems Go (2010)
Jim Stranahan “I’ve Got No Rhythm In My Feet” from Free For All (2010)
the Subdudes “Any Cure” from The Subdudes (1989)
Rick Roberts “In My Own Small Way” from Windmills / She is a Song (2010)
(D) Tallgrass “Old Town” from Better Than Medicine (2014)
Toad In the Hole “FireGirl” from APT 203 (2013)
Matthew Moon “Silver Lining” from I Am the Wind (2013)
(D) Euforquestra “Fire” from Fire (2014)
Robert Marcey & Familyman Barrett “Love Grows” from Wailin for Justice (2010)
Mama Lenny and the Remedy “Dangerous To Touch” from Punches & Hugs (2012)
The Samples “Boulder” from America (2014)
Megan Burtt “Sweet Mystery (feat. SHEL)” from In Good Company (2013)
The Fray “Love Don’t Die” from Helios (2014)
Rose Hill Drive “Baby Doncha Know Your Man” from Americana (2011)
Aakash Mittal Quartet “Monsoon Blues” from Ocean (featuring Ron Miles) (2013)

The Colorado Sound S8 EP07 FEB 2014

boninwf back stage nite 1 2012(Sunday, Feb 23, 11AM)  I’m slammed.  I have to get six projects done and out the door by the end of the week LOL.  Oy … shit happens, right?  So, let’s get straight to it.

Building an income from self-employment is a difficult task.  It’s vastly different than getting up and going to a job everyday because at least there (unless you’re on commission) you don’t have to worry about how you’re going to generate income.  Someone else is responsible for making sure there’s money in the bank to pay you.

As a musician we fret about work (no pun intended LOL).  We hate making cold calls to strangers asking for a gig.  We hate asking for money – all too often we don’t how much is reasonable to ask for, and all too often we settle even when we think the deal is not equitable nor reasonable.

It’s the same thing that keeps most people out of sales, and being self-employed.  It’s the hard part of the business that we wish we could do without.  I cannot recount those who have confided in me how much they hate that part of being a musician.   Twice this week a musician has said to me, “I want someone else to do that work for me.  I hate it.  I just want to play.”  The reality on the street is that for at least 95% of us it just doesn’t work that way.

The overwhelming percentage of those whose music we experience are doing this for the joy of it … of course, wishing we could do it as full time employment …which like most things in life gets more challenging the more people there are doing the thing we also want to do and make a living at.

The aspiration drives the effort we all put out, to do this thing we cannot live without; it is such an ingrained part of who we are as personalities.  Much love to those who are efforting to realize their dreams, whatever they are.

And thanks for supporting the working musicians and those who provide to them a place to play in our communities … it is truly and deeply appreciated.

VIDEO PICK OF THE WEEK

I love pop.  Always have.  I love cotton candy and sticky sweet chewy bubble gum.  I love ALT-country AND hip-hop … jam-bands and rap-bands.  I dj’d professionally in clubs and at dances from 74-86 in Colorado, Connecticut, and North Dakota.  I still get a big smile when remembering rockin’ the tables with some Sugarhill Gang and Curtis Blow for the first time.  Diversions … H*Wood speaks to me…  “This ain’t no dance song, but get your dance on. Take the time to celebrate where you came from.”  Right on H*Wood. Peace.  

PLAYLIST S8 EP7 FEB 2014

String Cheese Incident “One Step Closer” from One Step Closer (2005)
Acoustic Junction “Goodbye World” from Strange Days (2000)
(D) Young Ancients “Nobody Loves You” from Young Ancients (2014)
Mollie O’Brien and Rich Moore “Sunday Street” from Love Runner (2014)
Mama Lenny and the Remedy “Loaded Gun” from Time (You’re Doing Fine) (2014)
My Body Sings Electric “Oceancrest” from Part 1: the Night Ends (2014)
(D) Eldren “We Just Want The World” [single] (2014) The Motet “Rich in People” from The Motet (2014)
Dubskin “Warrior Stomp” from Release from Fear (2011)
Monocle Band “Falling” from Monocle Band (2013)
The Jekylls “You’re Probably Right” from The Sweet Factory (2012)
Andy Rok & the Real Deal “Second Class Citizen” [single] (2014)
Ben Haugland “Lift” from The Point Of No Return (2012)
Jimmy Ibbotson “Saints and Sots” from More Than Mountains (2000)
C.W. McCall “Wolf Creek Pass” from Best of CW McCall (1997)
(D) Katie Herzig “Walk Through Walls” from Walk Through Walls (2014)

Whiskey Blanket “Blatto Nox” from From the Dead of Dark (2014)
(N) The Fray “Hurricane” from Helios (2014)
Kristina Murray “Rough Corners” from Unravelin’ (2014)
Matt Skinner Band “Ashes to Ashes” from Native Stranger (2013)
Rob Drabkin “Little Steps” from Little Steps EP (2013)
Devotchka “Curse Your Little Heart” from Curse Your Little Heart (2006)
(N) Dianne Reeves “I Want You” from Beautiful Life (2014)
Hazel Miller “Spider Web” from Coming To You Live…From KUVO (2011)
Adam Stern “Locked Up” from High Country Gentleman (2011)

The Colorado Sound S8 EP06 Feb 2014

boninwf back stage nite 1 2012(Sunday, Feb 16, 2014)  “You have to be great.”  That line has been on loop in my mind since the middle of the week, when I met with Dani Grant from SpokesBuzz and the Mishawaka Amphitheater for lunch, and to discuss her organizations’ support of The Colorado Sound, and The Colorado Sound’s support of some upcoming events at the Mish.

“You have to be great.”  Typically, in a normal week, I listen to 3 or 4 new album/ep releases or roughly 30 t0 40 cuts.  Of course, those are not all full cut listens – most are 8-second rides – needle drops – looking for that OMG moment when I have to listen more intently to a single track – in the hopes I break a future hit (we djs are always looking to break a hit).

On top of producing the show, I am also on a few event committees.  This week I had two sessions where as a member of a committee we evaluated submissions for a couple of upcoming summer festivals.  In all, almost 200 acts will be scheduled for five event-days, from over 500 submissions (either a committee recommendation or actual online submission).

“You have to be great.”  What does that mean exactly?  Buyers look for it.  DJs look for it.  Fans look for it.  “Man, I gotta great deal!”  “Man, I saw a great show!”  “Man, I booked a great band!”  “Man, you gotta hear this great song I found!”

Today’s “radio” is truly anything video related.  YouTube is the single most dominant source of new music discovery in the world.  Today, more and more, buyers rely on video instead of strictly audio as a way of auditioning acts for an event.   Video doesn’t lie.  The presentation put forth speaks for itself – especially when the video is from a live performance (and especially from a “smart phone” video).  Video quality + audio quality + visual quality + performance quality all now matter in “you have to be great.”

VIDEO PICK OF THE WEEK

Katie Herzig is a Fort Collins native, a graduate of both Rocky Mountain High, and Colorado State University.  While she was in college she fronted the very popular folk-rock act Newcomer’s Home.  Katie went solo, moved to Nashville, and along with Pretty Lights stands as one of the two most successful artists to emerge from Fort Collins.  She’s got a brand new album set to drop in April – and in the meantime, she just released this new video from her last album.

PLAYLIST S8 EP06 

Earth, Wind & Fire “Reasons” from That’s the Way of the World (1975)
Lannie Garrett “Pickin’ Up After You” from Comes Love (1995)
Jesse Furay Lynch “I Wish It Would Rain” [single] (2014)
Mosey West “Hurricane Eyes” from Bermuda (2014)
Big Head Todd & The Monsters “Josephina” from Black Beehive (2014)
(N) Bad Brad & the Fat Cats “Other Side” from Take A Walk With Me (2014)Churchill “The War Within” from War Within EP (2013)
(D) Mountain Standard Time “Canyon Road” from Sunny (2013)
(D) Swim Through Frequencies “Other Languages” from Rhythm of Complacency (2013)(D) Glitta Kings “Carving In the Stone” from Girls in High Heels Shouldn’t Dance On Glass Tables (2014)
The Motet “Closed Mouth Don’t Get Fed” from The Motet (2014)
Selasee Atiase “One Day” from African Gate (2010)
Al Hood & Dave Hanson “Just A Little Taste” from Just A Litte Taste: Al Hood Plays The Writing Of Dave Hanson (2008)
Newcomers Home “Hold On” from In the Hour (2004)
Katie Herzig “Wish You Well” from Apple Tree (2008)
The Fray “Love Don’t Die” [single] (2013)
OneRepublic “Feel Again” from Native (2013)
(D) The Samples “The Whole World Can Sing” from America (2014)(D) Dianne Reeves “Dreams” from Beautiful Life (2014)
The ReMinders “Africa On My Mind” from Born Champions (2012)
(D) Kinetix “One Life to Live” from One Life (2014)
String Cheese Incident “Can’t Wait Another Day” [single] (2012)
Matt Skinner Band “I’ll Keep Loving” from Native Stranger Pt I – Fandango (2013)
Patti Fiasco “Nobody’s Girl” from The Patti Fiasco (2011)
Danny Shafer “I Am” from Wherever You Are (2013)
GogoLab “Honey Trap” from Border Patrol (2013)