Tag: rocky mountain music

The Colorado Sound S7 EP46 DEC 2013

chris at ob hmls sunday june 16 2013WOW … I’m freaking blown away now … seriously.  Sunday – Dec 15, 2013 – unique page views for the month = over 6000 and counting.  Until now, the best month ever (launched March 2009) was 2227, this past May …the entire year 2012 = 15,473.  The Colorado Live365 has also been enjoying the best listener metrics of the past several months … already we’re at 424 streams launched and 232 total listening hours logged.  In November we only did 320 streams launched /76 TLH (total listener hours).  HUGE improvement.  Funds raised so far = $665 / $1200 goal by March 1.

Lots to cover in this week’s post – and a rare two video pick Sunday.  Also, something new in the playlist section I hope will be entertaining.

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT.

As posted in Westword this past week …

The Denver Public Library is seeking local music for a flagship program it’s preparing to launch this spring called Volume Denver. “We were talking about how we really wanted to do something to get some content that you can’t find at Walmart or the other big box stores,” says Joan Hansen of the library’s Collection Development team. “There’s a great music scene in Denver, and we thought we could probably find a lot of bands who were interested in having the exposure and supporting the library, so that’s what we’re trying to do.”

Ideally, the library would like to launch the site next spring with a healthy selection of local music for cardholders to have access to. The site will be browsable by artist or album, with detailed information about each act and links to the individual websites. With 647,078 CDs checked out from the Denver Public Library system last year, an estimated 400,000 cardholders and over nine million visits to the library’s website alone in 2012, the potential for exposure for the scene to new listeners is obviously immense.

You can get more information about it by emailing Joan Hansen at colldev@denverlibrary.org

HELP:

  • Listen to The Colorado Sound Live365
  • Share The Colorado Sound Live365 by embedding it in your website or by sharing it with your friends at FB and Twitter
  • Make a donation to keep The Colorado Sound Live365 streaming the Best in Colorado Music 1960-today.  The goal to keep it on the air from now til March 31 is $1200.  Donations can be made by sending to thecoloradosound@gmail.com (PayPal) or by using Fundrzr.  Advertising/underwriting opportunities do exist across all my platforms.

FAN FAVORITE/BEST OF 2013

Best of show airs Dec 28-Jan 3.  Best of post will be published Dec 29.  Don’t forget to vote for your favorite artist, record, and video.  Polls close on Dec 20th.  All links take you straight to the appropriate poll.  Only those records/videos released/published between Nov 1 2012 and Oct 31 2013 were considered for “fan favorite/best of” consideration.

Best Video 2013
Best Female Vocal Performance 2013
Americana / Alt-country / Bluegrass
Blues / Rhythm & Blues
Folk / folk-rock / singer-songwriter
Indie / New Alternative
Jazz / Instrumental
Pop / Adult Contemporary / Crossover
Rock / AAA / ALT / AOR
Urban Contemporary / EDM / Hip Hop / Reggae / Soul

VIDEO PICKS OF THE WEEK: 

Xiren enters 2014 with a new song and new video that will no doubt, as this past year, emerge at year’s end as one of the “best of.”  In the almost 13 years since I first heard Bullets & Rainbows, Xiren has managed to stay current with contemporary music and video, and he’s definitely emerged as one of  the best (if not the best) music video artist/producers in Colorado right now.  This really is his strongest work to date, and with it he makes a pretty powerful statement that he’s ready for a much bigger stage to showcase his work on.  

In a rare treat — just as I was getting ready to publish today, Jeremy Lawton posted a couple of new videos of BHTM at Red Rocks, that he mixed the audio on… just too damned tasty not to get one in this week.  🙂

PLAYLIST S7 EP46 DEC 2013

IN COLORADO MUSIC HISTORY… (D) the Jekylls “Mele Kalikimaka” from A Very Jekylls Christmas EP (2013)
Opie Gone Bad “It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas (w/Jim Dalton)” from Opie Gone Christmas (2011)
Rob Drabkin “Down to Fate” from Little Steps EP (2013)
Wendy Woo “Hold On” from Live (2013)
Toad In the Hole “FireGirl” from APT 203 (2013)
Dave Preston “Shine” from Come Alive (2013)
Halle Tomlinson “Falling Snow” from Falling Snow (2013)
String Cheese Incident “Walk This Way” from The String Cheese Incident (1997)
Fox Street Allstars “Baby Don’t Fight It” from Welcome to the Mighty Pleasin’ (2011)
Mike Clark & the Sugar Sounds “Good Love” from Round and Round (2013)
(D) AdrienneO “Take It In” from Take It In (2014)
Star Jaguar feat. Erin McKeown “The Jailer: Part 2” from The Jailer: Part 2 (2013)
Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra “Beauty and the Beast” from Sharks And Manatees (2012)
Dianne Reeves “Let It Snow” from Christmas Time is Here (2004)
Chris Daniels & the Kings “Cool Yule” from Stealing the Covers (2008)
Bad Brad & the Fat Cats “I’d Like to Stay (f/Larea Edwards)” from Eyes on the Prize (2013)
OneRepublic “Counting Stars” from Native (2013)
Fierce Bad Rabbit “Matter of Time” from Maestro & the Elephant (2013)
(N) Matt Skinner Band “I’ll Keep Loving” from Native Stranger (2013)
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band “Colorado Christmas” from The Christmas Album (1997)
Big Head Todd & The Monsters “Please Don’t Tell Her” from Beautiful World (1997)
Cassie Taylor “No Ring Blues” from Out Of My Mind (2013)
(D) Yawpers “Sister Mary” from SpokesBuzz Compilation IV (2014)
Signal Path “Wolf Cry (feat Relic Secure)” from Habitats (2013)
Brad Goode “All Fall Down” from Chicago Red (2013)

The Colorado Sound S7 EP42 Nov 2013

Chris emcee 2013Friday night was a special event.  As you might know, unless I’m working a show, Miss Pattie and I rarely actually go out.  I traded out a sound gig this weekend to attend the benefit for Love Hope Strength.  Love Hope Strength is a local Colorado / Denver based non-profit, that seeks to provide diagnostics and treatment for cancer worldwide by promoting their work and engaging participants at concerts globally.

From their mission statement:  At Love Hope Strength we turn concerts into lifesaving events. Through our GET ON THE LIST campaign we register marrow donors resulting in matches from concerts around the world. Through unique events, like Everest Rocks and Kilimanjaro Rocks, we build cancer centers, giving people access to early detection and quality cancer care.  More info at http://www.lovehopestrength.org

The concert to benefit Love Hope Strength was stimulating, engaging, funny, warm, and musically splendid.  Where, as they mentioned, they might get 50 people signed up at a Red Rocks show, 5o of those among the 300+ who were on hand Friday night got ON THE LIST.

On stage guests included project founder/executive producer Megan Burtt with friends Chris Daniels, John Magnie, Reed Foehl and Tyler Depres (Science Partner) with members of the Congress, SHEL, Bop Skizzum, Chimney Choir, Rachel & the Kings, the Epilogues, and Covenhoven.  Audience “guests” were too numerous to mention – and the room did look to be sold out with standing room only by show time.

A note about this and other shows (the few) I’ve been too at the Soiled Dove Underground — show began promptly at 8, there was an intermission at about 8:50, and the second act ended at 1030, allowing plenty of time to mingle with the band and pony up to the merch table.  My wife and I were out of there before 1130, a real treat for a local show.

In Good Company cd coverRadio stations and print media around the state will have the LOVE HOPE STRENGTH benefit compilation IN GOOD COMPANY within the next week.  Also coming to radio via Rocky Mountain Music Network = Estes Park artist Brad Fitch record Columbine Blue.  Brad looks uncannily like John Denver (he does a John Denver tribute show) – so much so that even a limo driver used to ferrying luminaries got a bit whigged out when he met Brad, and who reportedly remarked, “John Denver is dead, right?”

kvnf_news_blue_square_0Some radio news to report this week.  KVNF Mountain Grown Community Radio seeks a weekday morning host for NPR’s Morning Edition and Regional News from KVNF.  This person will serve as the primary voice for KVNF’s regional news coverage. As such, the ideal candidate has a strong voice and professional news delivery that fits into both NPR and KVNF’s programming and journalistic philosophies.  This position will be part-time, contract labor, 12-20 hours per week. Hours will be 6-8:30 AM weekdays.  More details at http://kvnf.org/post/kvnf-hiring-morning-news-host

VIDEO PICK OF THE WEEK:

I discover “new” bands every single day of the week, either because they send me cds, or links, or I discover them accidentally.  I don’t know how I discovered Anchorage … but at least the name resonated with me since I lived there as a kid for 7 years.  New music this week:  

PLAYLIST S7 EP42 NOV 2013

Big Head Todd & The Monsters “Resignation Superman” from Beautiful World (1997)
the Subdudes “Papa Dukie & the Mud People” from Behind the Levee (2006)
(D) Blake Brown & American Dust Choir “Rise n’ Fight” from The American Dust Choir (2014)
(D) West Water Outlaws “Caught in the Headlights” [single] (2014)Rose Hill Drive “Pictures of You” from Americana (2011)
(D) Dr. Izzy Band “Dirt Bed” from Blind and Blues Bound (2014)
Boa & the Constrictors “Married to the Blues” from Boa’s Blues (2013)
(D) Kerry Pastine & the Crime Scene “Motor Vixen From Hell” from Motor Vixen From Hell (2014)Drew Emmitt “Take the Long Way Home” from Long Road (2008)
(D) Samuel Mouton “Smoke and Chill” from Paradise (2013)
Nathen Maxwell & the Original Bunny Gang “Stick To My Guns” from White Rabbit (2010)
Carmen Sandim Sextet “Sampa” from Brand New (2011)
India.Arie “Slow Down” from Voyage to India (2002)
Sherri Jackson “Simple Pleasures” from Catalyst (2000)
(D) Jon Snodgrass & Dead Peasants “On the Outside” from Songs of Tony Sly: a Tribute (2013)
Beautiful Loser Society “Hank’s Lament” from The Desperate Promenade (2013)
Great American Taxi “One of These Days” from Reckless Habits (2010)
(D) Katie Herzig “Little Bit of Love” from Secret Road – As Heard on TV (2014)Jeff Brinkman “Strange” from Strange (2012)
Devotchka “Along the Way” from A Mad & Faithful Telling (2008)
(N) Tennis “100 Lovers” from Small Sound (2013)
(D) Calders Revolvers “See To Believe” from See To Believe (2014)(N) Whiskey Blanket “Batto Nox” from From the Dead of Dark (2014)
Bop Skizzum “Known It All Along” from Coloradical (2012)
GogoLab “Tumbleweeds” from Border Patrol (2013)

The Colorado Sound S7EP41 NOV 2013

chris at ob hmls sunday june 16 2013The biggest problem with being IN THE business is that I often have to miss industry events I really want to be a part of.  That goes for Chris Daniels‘ induction into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame this weekend.  I missed it.  I missed seeing the legendary Judy Collins, and fellow Coloradoans Bob Lind and others … I missed it.  I was busy doing sound, and working on various other RMMN related tasks (like getting artist cds out to radio).

denver music summitIf you haven’t made plans yet to attend the Denver Music Summit coming up Nov 22-24, mark your calendars, and head to www.facebook.com/denvermusicsummit for details.  The inspiration for the Denver Music Summit was a research study developed by WESTAF for Create Denver, titled “Listen Local: Music in the Mile High City.” … The summit gives working musicians the professional skills and connections needed to develop their careers and fosters connections to build a sustainable music community … so definitely hit up the fb page for more info on how you might participate in this event.

One of the debuts this week is In Good Company: Megan Burtt & Friends – the Colorado Sessions Vol. 1, a splendid “compilation” of songs co-written by Megan and several of the top acts in Colorado today, including Chris Daniels, John Magnie, SHEL, and about 8 others.   Expect to hear more from this effort over the next few months while we’re waiting for the new Megan Burtt album to get done and into our hands. In the meantime, make plans on attending the premiere of this event.  This does look to be a sold out show.  

VIDEO PICK OF THE WEEK:  I was hanging out with some friends this week and the conversation got around to the band the Informants.  My buddy asked me what became of them … here’s the answer.  

PLAYLIST S7EP41 NOV 2013

Jimmy Ibbotson “Saints and Sots” from More Than Mountains (2000)
Freddi / Henchi and the Soulsetters “Things Are Changing” from Crown Princes of Funk: The Last Set (2010)
(D) Tennis “Mean Street” from Small Sound (2013)Navy “Something Good” from Spirit Groove (2013)
Patti Fiasco “Small Town Lights” from Small Town Lights (2013)
Elephant Revival “Birds and Stars” from These Changing Skies (2013)
Nathaniel Rateliff “Nothing to Show For” from Falling Faster Than You Can Run (2013)
Everything Absent or Distorted (a love story) “The Exit Parade” from Soft Civil War (2006)
Fierce Bad Rabbit “Rich Man” from Live and Learn (2011)
El Toro de la Muerte “Dancer” from Dancer These Days (2011)
(N) The Railsplitters “Where You Are” from The Railsplitters (2014)Darryl Purpose “Orange Raincoat” from Next Time Around (2012)
Brad Goode “All Fall Down” from Chicago Red (2013)
Flying Burrito Brothers “Colorado” from Hot Burritos! – The Flying Burrito Brothers Anthology 1969-1972 (2000)
(D) Lissa Hanner “Colorado Cowgirl” from My Colorado (2014)
(D) Yonder Mountain String Band “Rad Doll” from EP13 (2013)
Toad In the Hole “Wiser” from APT 203 (2013)
(D) Whiskey Blanket “Dinner with Ghouls” from From the Dead of Dark (2014) (D) Megan Burtt & Chimney Choir “Rise and Shine” from In Good Company: Megan Burtt & Friends – the Colorado Sessions Vol. 1 (2014)
Jill Sobule “Cinnamon Park (radio edit)” from Underground Victorious (2004)
Star Jaguar feat. Erin McKeown “The Jailer: Part 2” from The Jailer: Part 2 (2013)
Big Head Todd & The Monsters “Happiness Is” from Rocksteady (2010)
Eddie Turner “Rise” from Rise (2005)
Chris Daniels & the Kings “Crosstown Traffic” from Stealing the Covers (2008)
Raincheck “Shadow Valley” from Raincheck (2012)