In reflection – what is the power of a recording – video and/or audio – that it makes its way to the uppermost partitions of the temple of our soul, our heart, our mind, our singing voice in the quiet space of our car or standing in the throng of a concert crowd? How do we assign such luminance to a single record, that it shines above all others in our collection? (btw, I have a friend who is about to say “we’ve fallen into the Chris abyss.”) What is it that makes a record our favorite of the year?
A full disclaimer is in order – during the course of 2012, I assisted several Colorado artists and bands in getting their recording to djs around the state – which I am paid to do. In the past twelve months I’ve sent out records on behalf of: Three Twins Broadband, Bonnie & the Clydes, Chris Daniels, Chris Thompson & the Coral Creek String Band, Jeff Brinkman, Katie Glassman, Kathryn Mostow, Susannah Thompson, and Sofie Reed, all of whom put out excellent records in 2012 – some of which did very well at radio and/or with the critics and fans who participated in our poll.
In the decades I’ve been involved with music and radio here in Colorado the question has too often been asked, why can’t Denver (Colorado) be recognized as a major player in the national music scene?
My hope is that shows like The Colorado Sound (heard on a number of stations) and stations like KRFC (Fort Collins) and CPR’s OpenAir 1340 have helped to shift that perception and helped to elevate the righteous claim to fame our brothers, sisters, sons and daughters deserve today. Colorado has become big talk the past decade – deservedly so.
OpenAir 1340 and KRFC deserve special notice in elevating our awareness of Colorado music – each with its own flavor, but both of which have shifted the focus of their airtime to what’s going on here in this state. KRFC’s TOP 5 most spun album/ep titles were from here … and overall, 80% of their TOP 10 were Colorado releases. Much love to all the folks at both places who have placed such importance on our local scene — I can’t name a place off the top of my head anywhere in the country that has achieved that in a major metro market area.
Congratulations to the latest round of inductees into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame: the Astronauts, Flash Cadillac & the Continental Kids, KIMN AM, Barry Fey, and Harry Tuft … all very well deserving … next up in that category are inductees due this year – Chris Daniels, and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.
So, what’s my favorite? Well, my favorite albums of the year won’t be known to anyone except my wife and maybe one or two very close confidants. Equally I’ve allowed anonymity for the several djs, music journalists, and members of the industry who participated in voting in the POLL I sent out this past month.
The only BEST OF selections I sought no outside influence with is BEST VIDEOs of 2012 — these choices are strictly mine. My #1 pick for video of the year came to me late, like as I was typing out this column. It comes from one of my best friends, and a client-musician who I am very happy to endorse, promote, and work on behalf of.
Chris Daniels and I got to be friends about the time he released “Spark,” an album I thought at the time truly was a career defining release. His subsequent treatment for leukemia, and the inspiration that arose within him to write and perform the songs on his newest album “Better Days,” means for me that the current record is far and away his life’s career affirming record. The video for “Sister Delores” was more than enough emotionally, on the eve of this report, to make it my VIDEO PICK of 2012. God bless you my friend – I truly do respect, love, and honor you for your contributions these past many decades. Thank you for inspiring me…. and for being my friend.
And with that … have a SUPER FANTASTIC year of music in Colorado in 2013 … much love to you and thank you for your support in 2012.
GOAT’s TOP VIDEO PICKS of 2012
from: Chris Daniels, Danielle Ate the Sandwich, the Epilogues, Churchill, Xiren, Flobots, SHEL, and OneRepublic
TOP 40 ALBUMS/EPS
TOP 40 OVERALL – 2012
A ONE HOUR sampling of the TOP 20
1. The Lumineers – The Lumineers (Dualtone) Americana [1 -Mar-12]
2. Danielle Ate The Sandwich – {like a king} (Youngest Daughter Records) Folk [1-May-12]
3. Bad Weather California – Sunkissed (Family Tree) Indie/New Alternative [1-Feb-12]
4. Chris Daniels – Better Days (self) Country/Folk [1-Jul-12]
5. The Yawpers – Capon Crusade (self) Rock [1-Sep-12]
6. Halden Wofford & the Hi*Beams – Live at Hodi’s (self) Country/Rock [1-Jan-12]
7. Leftover Salmon – Aquatic Hitchhiker (LoS Records) Rock/Country [1-Apr-12]
8. Longest Day of the Year – Turn Into the Ground (self) Rock/alt-country [1-Nov-11]
9. Tennis – Young & Old (Fat Possum) Indie/New Alternative [1-Feb-12]
10. Otis Taylor – Otis Taylor’s Contraband (Telarc) Blues [1-Jan-12]
11. The Swayback – Double Four Time (self) Rock [1-Mar-12]
12. Mosey West – Merica (self) Rock [1-Apr-12]
13. The Haunted Windchimes – Out with the Crow (Blank Tape) Folk [1-Apr-12]
14. Strange Americans – A Royal Battle (self) Rock [1-Jun-12]
15. Grant Farm – The Grant Farm (self) Country/Rock [1-Mar-12]
16. The Knew – Man Monster (self) Rock [1-Jun-12]
17. O’Brien Party of 7 (CC) – Reincarnation, The Songs of Roger Miller (Howdy Skies Music) Folk [1-Jun-12]
18. Churchill – The Change EP (A&M/Octone) Rock [1-Mar-12]
19. Bonnie & The Clydes – Wrong Side Up (self) Country/Folk [1-Jul-12]
20. Achille Lauro – Flight or Flight (Hot Congress Records) Indie/New Alternative [1-Mar-12]
21. Katie Glassman – Snapshot (self) Country/jazz [1-Jan-12]
22. Patrick Dethlefs – Fall & Rise (self) Folk [1-Jun-12]
23. Esme Patterson – All Princes, I (Greater Than Collective) Indie/New Alternative [1-Sep-12]
24. Robert Cline, Jr. – All the Right Reasons (Mockingbird Records) Country/Folk [1-May-12]
25. Sofie Reed – Simplicity Chased Trouble Away (self) Blues/Folk [1-Aug-12]
26. Bop Skizzum – Coloradical (self) Funk/Soul/R&B [1-Sep-12]
27. FaceMan – Feeding Time (self) Rock [1-Feb-12]
28. Musketeer Gripweed – Straight Razor Revival (self) Rock [1-Apr-12]
29. Coles Whalen – I Wrote this for You (self) Pop/country crossover [1-Feb-12]
30. The Jekylls – The Sweet Factory (self) Americana/rock [1-Mar-12]
31. Chris Thompson & Coral Creek String Band – Forty Years (self) Country/Folk [1-Sep-12]
32. Flobots – The Circle In the Square (Shanachie Records) Hip-hop [1-Aug-12]
33. Fierce Bad Rabbit – Live and Learn EP (self) Rock/Pop [1-Nov-11]
34. Jeff Brinkman – Strange (self) Rock/Pop/Singer-songwriter [1-Dec-12] *
35. Mama Lenny & the Remedy – Punches and Hugs (self) Blues/rhythm and blues [1-Apr-12]
36. SHEL – SHEL (Moraine Records / Mad King Records) Folk [1-Aug-12]
37. Arliss Nancy – Simple Machines (Suburban Home) Rock [1-May-12]
38. The Congress – Whatever You Want (self) Rock [1-Apr-12]
39. Glowing House – Days Run Out (self) Indie/New Alternative [1-Jun-12]
40. The Epilogues – Cinematics (Greater Than Collective) Rock [1-Oct-12]
TOP 20 PEOPLES’ CHOICE
30 contributors ranked their TOP 20 in order. A #1 vote garnered 20 pts… a #20 vote garnered 1 pt. 167 titles received at least 1 pt.
1. The Lumineers – The Lumineers
2. Danielle Ate The Sandwich – {like a king}
3. The Yawpers – Capon Crusade
4. Chris Daniels – Better Days
5. Bad Weather California – Sunkissed
6. Longest Day of the Year – Turn Into the Ground
7. Strange Americans – A Royal Battle
8. Bonnie & The Clydes – Wrong Side Up
9. Mosey West – Merica
10. Halden Wofford & the Hi*Beams – Live at Hodi’s
11. The Knew – Man Monster
12. Patrick Dethlefs – Fall & Rise
13. Leftover Salmon – Aquatic Hitchhiker
14. FaceMan – Feeding Time
15. Esme Patterson – All Princes, I
16. Glowing House – Days Run Out
17. Otis Taylor – Otis Taylor’s Contraband
18. Robert Cline, Jr. – All the Right Reasons
19. Anthony Ruptak – Red Mark
20. Oakhurst – Barrel [EP]
TOP 20 Radio Spins 2012
I went back and reviewed the TOP 40 radio charts for the 12 months Dec 2011 through November 2012. A #1 chart position garnered as many points as there were 2012 releases charted in that month; a song that was #1 in a month in which 30 titles counted received 30 pts etc. 110 titles received spin points based on their TOP 40 chart position in any given month of 2012.
1. The Lumineers – The Lumineers
2. Tennis – Young & Old
3. Leftover Salmon – Aquatic Hitchhiker
4. Halden Wofford & the Hi*Beams – Live at Hodi’s
5. Bad Weather California – Sunkissed
6. Danielle Ate The Sandwich – {like a king}
7. The Swayback – Double Four Time
8. Otis Taylor – Otis Taylor’s Contraband
9. Chris Daniels – Better Days
10. The Haunted Windchimes – Out with the Crow
11. Grant Farm – The Grant Farm
12. Katie Glassman – Snapshot
13. Longest Day of the Year – Turn Into the Ground
14. O’Brien Party of 7 (CC) – Reincarnation, The Songs of Roger Miller
15. Churchill – The Change EP
16. Achille Lauro – Flight or Flight
16. Mosey West – Merica
17. Sofie Reed – Simplicity Chased Trouble Away
18. The Yawpers – Capon Crusade
19. Coles Whalen – I Wrote this for You
19. The Jekylls – The Sweet Factory
BY GENRE/FORMAT
Americana/Alt.country/Alt.country-rock
1. The Lumineers – The Lumineers
2. Chris Daniels – Better Days
3. Halden Wofford & the Hi*Beams – Live at Hodi’s
4. Leftover Salmon – Aquatic Hitchhiker
5. Longest Day of the Year – Turn Into the Ground
Blues/Rhythm & Blues
1. Otis Taylor – Otis Taylor’s Contraband
2. Sofie Reed – Simplicity Chased Trouble Away
3. Mama Lenny & the Remedy – Punches and Hugs
4. John Oates Band (CC) – The Bluesville Sessions
5. Ronnie Shellist – Trust Is Gone
Dance/Funk/Hip-Hop/Urban Contemporary
1. Bop Skizzum – Coloradical
2. Flobots – The Circle In the Square
3. Broken Tongues – Crooked Skyline
4. Air Dubai – Day Escape
5. Beats Noir! – Where the Sun Goes Down
Folk/folk-rock/singer-songwriter
1. Danielle Ate The Sandwich – {like a king}
2. The Haunted Windchimes – Out with the Crow
3. O’Brien Party of 7 (CC) – Reincarnation, The Songs of Roger Miller
4. Patrick Dethlefs – Fall & Rise
5. SHEL – SHEL
Indie/New Alternative
1. Bad Weather California – Sunkissed
2. Tennis – Young & Old
3. Achille Lauro – Flight or Flight
4. Esme Patterson – All Princes, I
5. Fierce Bad Rabbit – Live and Learn
Jazz
1. Tia Fuller (CC) – Angelic Warrior
2. Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra – Sharks & Manatees
3. Raincheck – Raincheck
4. Eric Gunnison – Trios
5. Julie Monley Quartet – Straight Up Jazz
POP/CROSSOVER/ADULT CONTEMPORARY
1. Coles Whalen – I Wrote this for You
2. Places – No More Wasted Days
3. Zach Heckendorf – The Cool Down
4. Katie Herzig (CC) – The Waking Sleep
5. The Fray – Scars and Stories
ROCK/AAA/AOR/ALT
1. The Yawpers – Capon Crusade
2. The Swayback – Double Four Time
3. Mosey West – Merica
4. Strange Americans – A Royal Battle
5. The Knew – Man Monster
December 1, 2012 — we are now 28 days away from our Best of 2012 show on the Colorado Sound, which will air the week of Dec 29-Jan 4 around the state. Over the next week or so I will put up a poll so that you can pick your favorites of the past year – NOV’11-NOV’12. I’ll take those results, add it to the list of favs by some “secret” local industry insiders, and then add them to the spins database to come up with the TOP 40 of 2012. Should be fun.
KAFM (Grand Junction)
KBUT (Crested Butte)
KDNK (Carbondale) 
KGNU (Boulder)
KRCC (Colorado Springs)
KRFC (Fort Collins)
KSJD (Cortez)
Open Air 1340 (Denver)
The Colorado Sound
Blues/Rhythm & Blues
Dance/Funk/Hip-Hop/Urban Contemporary
Chris K's Colorado Playlist 