Happy Holidays. Merry Christmas. Happy New Year. Thank you for an amazing 2015. I cannot express enough my gratitude and deepest appreciation for your gifts of financial support and love right now. My wife and I have each dealt with potentially deadly diseases the past three years, she twice. Mine was cured by new medicine. We’re hoping that new medicines cure my wife’s.
Please visit AIM at Melanoma Foundation for more information about this rare cancer. Much love to my friends in our scene who are also suffering from other forms of cancer, and to the family of JD Kelly who we lost this year to colon cancer. We’ll be hearing from friends in our scene about this subject and others this coming year on the show.
Our band Goatz! finished off the season with an acoustic show at Oskar Blues in Lyons, after successful appearances at Avogadro’s Number (Fort Collins), the Walnut Room (Denver), and the Mishawaka Amphitheatre, where we debuted this summer. After over six years, and not being kids anymore, debuting a new project has been an exhilarating and rejuvenating experience. Miss Pattie and I are looking forward to many more great shows in 2016.
The Colorado Sound once again took a big step forward in being the most widely heard Colorado music radio program in the state, thanks to addition of KSUT in Ignacio/Durango, and KCMJ in Colorado Springs. As of now, the station is heard a total of 60 hours a week on 39 frequencies.
The feedback has been truly encouraging. According to sources in the industry, The Colorado Sound is among the top two most listened to hours of programming in Northern Colorado on Saturdays. That’s pretty cool. Those are ears on Colorado music. That makes my heart happy.
Being heard on three “competing” stations in the same market is unprecedented – so big love to my friends at KRFC, Radio 94.9, and KUNC for supporting the show, and for supporting Colorado music throughout their programming.
Before I get too far into this, I need to make an apology to a few friends … In this week’s show I inadvertently credited the name “Oh, Starling” to Dave Preston and Rachel James — when in fact, “Oh, Starling” is Dan Craig and Jessica Sonner. I didn’t even realize I’d done it until I was listening … Dave and Rachel have a duo called “Dearling.”
I love what both duos have done. Dave and Rachel have been very creative with output this year. It’s been awhile since Dan and Jessica have found time to record, especially as Dan continues his medical/surgical residency. Much love to both couples.
April 2016 marks the official 10th anniversary of The Colorado Sound. It’s time for a change – to re-envision, re-brand, re-market, expand and grow. Plans are in the works. Our 10th ANNIVERSARY PARTY will be hosted by the Mishawaka Amphitheater. And, the very name “The Colorado Sound” will take on an entirely new meaning in February 2016.
I’ll be taking a break over Christmas to spend with my family. I’ll be back in two weeks with the BEST OF 2015, and while some of my personal favorites may make that list, here is what has been in steady rotation in my car.
FAVORITE CHRIS K. CAR-TUNES 2015
My favorite car-tunes of 2015 when I’m not listening to The Colorado Sound Live365 tend to bend strongly in a “country” direction… with the exception of my personal FAVORITE ALBUM OF THE YEAR – Megan Burtt‘s “The Bargain.” Her cd release show also stands out as my favorite show of the year that I was not directly and personally involved with in some capacity (same with the album).
FAVORITE NEW FEMALE COUNTRY ARTIST of 2015 – Amberly Chalberg for her absolutely touching tribute to her father, “There Will Come A Day.” Two songs in particular, “Chicago” and “Big Blue Truck” are among my most played car-tunes.
FAVORITE MALE COUNTRY ARTIST of 2015 – John Paul Hodge. Among my favorite car-tunes – “Big and Rich” and “Bakersfield Draw”
FAVORITE BLUEGRASS PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ARTIST – Erin Youngberg’s whimsical and mystical “She Wants to Eat the Moon” from the FY5 (Finnders and Youngberg) EP of the same name.
FAVORITE BLUEGRASS PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR BAND Rapidgrass Quintet – “Crooked Road” from album of the same name
FAVORITE ALT-COUNTRY ROCK ALBUM – Todd Ademan “Highways and Lowways.” There’s always got to be some back-beat mixed in with that country. Three songs made it into the car-tunes mix: “Cold Mississippi Blues,” “Right Before You Said Hello” and “The Devil Is for Drinking.”
FAVORITE BLUES/FUNK ALBUM – Chris Daniel’s & the Kings featuring Freddi Gowdy – “Funky To the Bone.” If you’re going to have some back-beat you gotta add some funkiness to it all. (Full Disclosure: Chris Daniels is a client of mine and among my closest friends … it’s still among my favorite car-tunes). Tracks in car-tunes mix: “Funky To the Bone,” “Something You Got”
FAVORITE AMERICANA/FOLK-ROCK SONG – King Cardinal “Gasoline” from “Once A Giant EP”
And although the rest of the country was a year behind us here in Colorado, Richie Furay’s “We Were the Dreamers” remains as one of my favorite car-tunes for 2015.
Ok, so my FAVORITE FOOD is BBQ … I’ve eaten it all over the country, in well over 150 bbq joints. Danny Shafer‘s “Barbecue” from his most recent, “Weddings, Floods and Funerals” makes the playlist as a favored car-tune of 2015. (Full Disclosure: Danny is a client of mine, one of my closest friends and handles booking for Oskar Blues … all of which means he’s responsible for the health of my wallet and my heart).
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PLAYLIST S9 EP48 2015
HOUR 1
Fourth Estate “Joy” from Finesse And Fury (1992)
Dave Beegle “A Simple Prayer” from Beyond the Desert (2003)
(N) Maxwell Mud “All Kinds of Packages” from Maxwell Mud (2015)
the Jekylls “Jingle Bells” from A Very Jekylls Christmas EP (2013)
Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats “Howling At Nothing” from Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats (2015)
(D) Foxfield Four “Steady to Me” (2016)
(D) Kerry Pastine & the Crime Scene “Crime Scene Christmas” from It’s A Crime Scene Christmas (2015)
Nina Storey “Waiting for Love” from Think Twice (2013)
Drew Emmitt “Up Where We Are” from Across The Bridge (2005)
Justin Roth “Rise” from Rise (2013)
(D) Wendy Woo and Robin Hoch “Silent Night” from Soul Cake (2016)
Oh, Starling “It Came Upon” from Joy (2009)
Keith Oxman “The Oxman Returneth” from Caught Between the Lion and Twins (2008)
HOUR 2
Chris Daniels & the Kings “Santa’s Dog House Blues” from A Rocky Mountain Christmas Collection (2000)
(D) Kerry Pastine & the Crime Scene “Ride Santa Ride” from It’s A Crime Scene Christmas (2015)
(D) Pandas & People “Watch it Burn” from SpokesBUZZ Band Together Volume VI (2015)
Oh, Starling “God rest ye merry gentlemen” from Joy (2009)
Von Stomper “Ain’t Seen It Yet” from Americado (2015)
Coral Creek “Comes a Time” from Coral Creek (2015)
Rob Solomon “Christmas Memories” from A Rocky Mountain Christmas Collection (2000)
(D) The Burroughs “Cut You Down” from SpokesBUZZ Band Together Volume VI (2016)
the Jekylls “First Song About Santa” from A Very Jekylls Christmas EP (2013)
Goatz! “Once Upon a Snowflake” from Once Upon A Snowflake (2012)
(D) Wendy Woo and Robin Hoch “Little Drummer Boy” from Soul Cake (2016)
SHEL “On My Way” from SHEL (2012)
Dana Landry Trio “To Wane” from Memphis Skyline (2014)
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The Colorado Sound is supported by my incredible friends at the Mishawaka Amphitheater … soon to be 100 years old, and yes they have shows year round … during the cold months indoors in the SpokesBUZZ lounge … see www.themishawaka.com for upcoming events. And, please thank them for supporting Colorado music.
The Colorado Sound SUPPORTS SpokesBUZZ … a Colorado 501C3 non-profit dedicated to supporting the global visibility of Colorado sound and culture and to developing the professionalism of our local artists. More info at www.SpokesBUZZ.org ….
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Chris K's Colorado Playlist 