It’s that season when flu and colds hit out of the blue .. kinda like operating system failures that cannot be restored. My main pc went down last week this time, and my laptop appeared to on Sunday when Jesse Elliott (Ark Life) and Bryce Merrill were sitting with me in my dining room discussing the music scene here regionally. Fortunately, that blip was just that – just a minor heart attack; my pc, not so much.
Ok, so I did save 99% of my music collection on an external hard drive, and two of my 1TB cloud accounts .. but noooooo .. not a lick of five years of business files. Live and learn, at least the music is safe.
I live to discover new music, new songs, new voices – it’s the voices I crave, the unique, the inviting, the telling … live or recorded. I crave new musical experiences. So when the sickening feeling hit me as Windows crashed in front of me, I momentarily felt like my life was swirling along with the rest of my files – far too much music to have to think about trying to put back together. I’m happy I didn’t lose my music collection. I really do enjoy sharing it with you on the radio here in Colorado.
New Offstage …Beyond the Music this week with award winning producer/engineer/pedal steel player John Macy.
PLAYLIST S9 EP10
HOUR 1
Gary Stites “Hey, Hey” from Lonely for You (1960) Soul Survivors (Denver) “Have It All Your Way” from Have It All Your Way (1969) (N) Todd Adelman “Ghost Train” from Highways & Lowways (2015) Strange Americans “Engine” from A Royal Battle (2012) Papa Juke “When Flood Waters Came” from When Flood Waters Came (2013) AdrienneO “Take It In” from Lines EP (2014) Foxfield Four “Weatherman” from Weatherman EP (2013) Pandas & People “Out to Sea” from SpokesBUZZ Vol V: Band Together (2015) (D) Juno What?! “Stranger” from Stranger (2015)(D) Modern Suspects “Told You So” from Modern Suspects (2015) You Me and Apollo “Ghosts” from Sweet Honey (2014) John Oates “Stone Cold Love” from Good Road to Follow (2014) John Gunther’s Safari Trio “Sisters” from Surrender (2013)
HOUR 2
The Samples “Heaven” from Rehearsing for Life (2005) Acoustic Junction “Think About It” from Acoustic Junction (1995) (D) John Statz “Any Town Will Do” from Tulsa (2015) Leftover Salmon “Walkin’ Shoes” from Aquatic Hitchhiker (2012) Houses “Me & Mr Kelly” from Summer (2009) Danielle Ate the Sandwich “Faith In a Man” from Like A King (2012) Richie Furay “We Were the Dreamers” from Hand In Hand (2015) (D) Analog Son “What It Is?!” from Stomp and Shout (2015) Rob Roper “Me” from Misfit (2011) Josh Quinlan Quintet “Left Then Right” from Mountain Time Standards (2011)
Please visit my friends’ sites. They keep this thing going.
Colorado Case Company a Fort Collins based, Colorado family owned business specializing in insulated soft cases, gig bags, case covers and rigid cases for most instruments, including hard to fit instruments.
SpokesBUZZ, a Colorado non-profit with a mission to develop the professionalism of artists, promote and connect progressive cultural destinations, amplify music scenes, and grow local economies. See event calendar for Spokesbuzz band shows.
The historic Mishawaka Amphitheatre, Northern Colorado’s Musical Playground, and seriously one of the most badass music venues in the state.
RADIO NEWS and NOTES
You’ve only got a couple of days left to get in on this job opening … KGNU Community Radio, broadcast from Boulder and Denver, Colorado, and streamed online, seeks a full-time Station Manager to lead their nonprofit broadcast and online media organization. See http://kgnu.org/StationManagerSearch for required and desired qualifications. Please email your application to job@kgnu.orgbyMarch 5, 2015. No phone calls, please. KGNU is an EEOC employer.
Open Air 1340 is now Open Air 102.3FM. And if you haven’t listened, and you’re under 40 and/or you’re into music that you probably have never heard of before, this is a remarkable addition to the FM dial in the Denver metro – extending up just north of Longmont.
Congrats to former Fort Collins Coloradoan reporter Stacy Nick who got laid off at one gig to land another equally impressive role as Culture Arts & Music reporter for 91.5FM KUNC. On Feb 26th, she posted, “Attn Colorado bands headed to #SXSW2015: If you haven’t sent in a copy of your latest CD to KUNC yet, do so now. We’re going to be highlighting a bunch of you in the coming weeks. KUNC, 1901 56th Ave. Suite 200, Greeley, CO 80634 #COMusic”
Artists Wanted for Support Local Culture Support Local Culture is a joint venture between KRFC 88.9 FM and Noosa Yoghurt. The program provides Northern Colorado arts and culture nonprofit organizations and individual artists with an opportunity to promote themselves through KRFC. MORE
VIDEO PICKS – FEBRUARY
TOP 40 Spins February 2015
Our TOP 3 this month are exceptional in the number of stations and frequencies cuts from the release were heard on. Of the 15 stations surveyed, the top 3 appeared on 8, 9, and 7 stations respectively. No other titles this month appeared on more than 4 stations surveyed. Of the 15 station/shows surveyed, 8 did not have even the minimum 10 titles necessary to be reflected in the STATION by STATION breakouts.
235 titles tracked – 8 TOP 40 DEBUTS / 16 Adds to tracking
Titles tracked = released between Sept 2013 and Feb 2015 109 (47%) titles identified as played at least once in the reporting period Stations/shows surveyed: 15 (CC) = Colorado Connection (D) = album/ep/single debut on chart (R) = re-enter [date] = Date added to reporting list
(1) 1. Bill Frisell– Guitar In the Space Age(Okeh Records) Instrumental [18-Nov-14] (3) 2. Hot Rize – When I’m Free(Thirty Tigers) Bluegrass [6-Sep-14] (15) 3. Chris Daniels & the Kings – Funky To the Bone (Moon Voyage) Blues / r&b / funk [15-Jan-15] (11) 4. Brothers Keeper– Todd Meadows (8150 Records) Rock [20-Dec-14] (8) 5. Jeff Austin– The Simple Truth (Yep Roc) Rock / bluegrass [1-Jan-15] (18) 6. Land Lines – The Natural World (self) Indie/New Alternative [31-Jan-15] (2) 7. Leftover Salmon–High Country (LoS) Rock / country-rock / bluegrass [8-Nov-14] (5) 8. Various– SpokesBUZZ Compilation V: Band Together (SpokesBUZZ) Variety [20-Dec-14] (4) 9. Ark Life– The Dream of You & Me (Greater Than Collective) Rock / folk [28-Jun-14] (23) 10. Reed Foehl – Lost in the West (NeverFoehl Records) Folk / singer-songwriter [13-Sep-14] (10) 11. The String Cheese Incident – Song in My Head (SCI Fidelity) Rock / jamband [12-Apr-14] (27) 12. You, Me and Apollo – Sweet Honey (self) Indie/New Alternative [26-Apr-14] (D) 13. Paul Mullikin – Time Is Now (self) Jazz/Instrumental [1-Feb-15] (D) 14. Selasee & the Fafa Family – Time for Peace (self) World / reggae [30-Jan-15] (33) 15. Ben Markley-Clint Ashlock Quintet – The Return (Dazzle Jazz) Jazz/Instrumental [22-Nov-14] (12) 16. Euforquestra – Fire (self) Funk / jamband [22-Feb-14] (D) 17. Nathaniel Rateliff – Closer EP (Mod y Vi Records) Indie/ Folk [28-Jan-15] (13) 17. Strange Americans – That Kind of Luster(self) Rock [23-Aug-14] (7) 18. Tennis – Ritual in Repeat (Communion Records) Indie/New Alternative [14-Aug-14] (R) 19. Young Ancients – Y/A (self) Americana [22-Feb-14] (21) 20. The Motet– The Motet (self) Urban Contemporary / funk [4-Jan-14] (D) 21. Rose Quartz– Axis of Love (self) Pop / electronic [1-Feb-15] (R) 22. Big Head Todd & the Monsters – Black Beehive (Shout! Factory) Rock / blues [25-Jan-14] (R) 23. Dianne Reeves– Beautiful Life (Concord) Urban Contemporary / jazz / soul [11-Feb-14] (R) 24. Blake Brown & American Dust Choir – “3” (self) Rock [23-Aug-14] (D) 25. Danielle Ate the Sandwich – The Drawing Back of Curtains (Youngest Daughter Records) Folk [13-Jan-15] (R) 25. Nathaniel Rateliff – Falling Faster Than You Can Run (Mod y Vi Records) Indie / New Alternative / Folk [1-Sep-13] (D) 26. Gerald Albright – Slam Dunk (Heads Up Music) Jazz/Instrumental [1-Sep-14] (D) 26. Gipsy Moon – Autumn’s Retreat (self) Folk [1-Feb-15] (28) 27. The Railsplitters – The Railsplitters (self) Bluegrass [1-Oct-13] (R) 28. Musketeer Gripweed– Floods and Fires (self) Rock / jamband [29-Mar-14] (R) 29. Mollie O’Brien & Rich Moore– Love Runner (Remington Road Records) Americana / folk [21-Dec-13] (9) 30. Todd Adelman – Highways & Lowways (Porch Lantern Music) Rock / country-rock [8-Jan-15] (R) 31. John Oates – Good Road to Follow (PS Records) Pop / adult contemporary [18-Mar-14] (R) 31. Katie Herzig – Walk Through Walls (Marion-Lorraine) Pop / adult contemporary [26-Apr-14] (19) 31. Snake Rattle Rattle Snake –Totem (self) Indie/New Alternative [8-Nov-14] (D) 32. AMZY– We Don’t Walk, We Dance (self) Pop / rock [21-Feb-15] (20) 32. Calder’s Revolvers – Sunday Morning (self) Rock / R&B [13-Jun-14] (R) 32. The Seers – Deaf in June (self) Rock [27-Sep-14] (25) 33. Fierce Bad Rabbit – Living Asleep (self) Rock / pop [19-Jul-14]
FELL OUT OF TOP 40 FEB 6. Dana Landry Trio – Memphis Skyline 14. Elephant Revival- These Changing Skies 16. Pandas & People – S/T 17. Safe Boating is No Accident – Bonus Features 17. The Longest Day of the Year – Carapace 18. Born to Wander – S/T 22. Rob Drabkin – Little Steps EP 24. Eef & the Blues Express – All Rivers Run to the Sea 26. Fruition & Grant Farm – Meeting On the Mountain 29. Esme Patterson – Woman to Woman 30. Kyle Hollingsworth – Speed of Life 30. The Sound and Color – S/T 31. Kate LeRoux – Phoenix 31. Richard Dean – Accidental Human 31. Sofie Reed – Red Hen 32. Ben Gallagher – Heart Shaped Rocks 32. J. Miller Band – One More High, One More Low
ADDED TO TRACKING FEBRUARY 2015 All Indians, No Chiefs – The Danger Mission EP AMZY – We Don’t Walk, We Dance Chemistry Club – Copia 1 – The Electric Hush EP Clouds & Mountains – Slumber CRL CRRLL – Good Influence Dearling – Do You Love Me [single] Dirty Few – Party or Don’t Gipsy Moon – Autumn’s Retreat H2 Big Band – It Could Happen Juno What?! – Stranger Land Lines – The Natural World Patrick Lee – Remixes Vol 1 Paul Mullikin – Time Is Now Peter Sommer – Narrando Historias Plum – Hello Miss Yellow [single] Rose Quartz – Axix of Love
STATION BY STATION
[XX] = number of reported current year (Sept 2013-Feb 2015) titles Stations monitored for spins = KAFM, KBUT, KDUR, KGNU, KOTO, KRCC, KRFC, KRZA, KSJD, KSUT, KUNC, KVNF, OPENAIR 1340, Radio 94.9 Colorado, The Colorado Sound radio show and The Colorado Sound LIVE365
KAFM (Grand Junction) [17] 1. Bill Frisell – Guitar In the Space Age 2. Paa Kow – Ask 3. Hot Rize – When I’m Free 4. Chris Daniels & the Kings – Funky To the Bone 4. Quemando – Paradise
KDUR (Durango) [20] 1. Hot Rize – When I’m Free 2. Leftover Salmon – High Country 3. Born to Wander – S/T 4. Chain Station – Dancin’ With the Law 4. The String Cheese Incident – Song in My Head
KGNU (Boulder) [15] 1. Hot Rize – When I’m Free 2. Snake Rattle Rattle Snake – Totem 3. Danielle Ate the Sandwich – The Drawing Back of Curtains 3. The Railsplitters – The Railsplitters 4. Ark Life – The Dream of You and Me
KRFC (Fort Collins) [+80] 1. Cary Morin – Tiny Town 2. Jeff Austin – The Simple Truth 3. Chris Daniels & the Kings – Funky To the Bone 4. Danielle Ate the Sandwich – The Drawing Back of Curtains 5. Bill Frisell – Guitar In the Space Age
KUNC (Greeley) [17] 1. Jeff Austin – The Simple Truth 2. Ark Life – The Dream of You and Me 2. Chris Daniels & the Kings – Funky To the Bone 2. Hot Rize – When I’m Free 2. You, Me and Apollo – Sweet Honey
OPEN AIR 102.3 FM (Denver) [40] 1. Land Lines – The Natural World 2. Dirty Few – Party or Don’t 3. Snake Rattle Rattle Snake – Totem 4. Ark Life – The Dream of You and Me 5. Plum – Hello Miss Yellow (single)
The Colorado Sound [40] 1. Brothers Keeper – Todd Meadows 2. Various – SpokesBUZZ Compilation V 3. Land Lines – The Natural World 4. Ben Markley~Clint Ashlock Quintet – The Return 4. Chris Daniels & the Kings – Funky to the Bone
The cold and snow have jarred my brain somehow. Normally I spend my Sundays working on this blogpost. Yeah – no. Not this week. Somehow I got stuck.
The music and radio news seems flooded this past couple of months with articles and opinions about streaming vs downloading vs cd vs vinyl sales. It is a very dense and complicated story, but basically it goes like this: at a high level, cd sales and album sales are still declining globally, and in the US. Vinyl sales continue to increase, although it is still a niche market. Download sales are also decreasing in the face of accelerating use of streaming, as smartphones become more fully integrated into everyday activities.
According to a Monday morning post at Digital Music News entitled The End Of An Era: Starbucks Will Soon Stop Selling CDs, “Last year, Americans bought 257 million albums – an 11% drop from 2013. Of those, 140.8 million were CDs (a 15% drop from 2013)… However, 9.2 million vinyl records were sold – a 51.8% increase from 2013. And now vinyl accounts for 6% of ALL album sales.” The author goes on to say that, “In 2014 there were 476 million “albums sold” – according to Billboard’s new system of 1,500 streams = one album sale.”
Here’s the real takeaway. Local bands still sell cds. Local bands still sell downloads. Local bands, promoters, and venues still charge an entrance fee. Music is not free. It is not free to make, it is not free to produce, it is not free to present. It is not someone else’s responsibility to pay for it.
For all the years I’ve done radio we’ve always gotten the music for free – because advertisers were willing to pay for us to broadcast it. But only the publishers/songwriters have ever gotten paid in this deal.
Musicians per se do not and have not ever made a dime from radio. Nor do local bands earn income level revenue from streaming; certainly not enough to afford a cheap dinner at a local diner. Locals make money off of door charges, tickets, and HARD merchandise and PAID downloads – particularly from sites such as BandCamp (the reason I utilize that service for new music shares).
BOTTOM LINE: If WE don’t support it, who will? Some who make music do it as a hobby. Most do if you study the numbers. But even hobbies cost money, and being a hobbyist doesn’t mean doing it for free or that you’re not any good at what you’re doing. Making a full time living at music has NEVER been easy, in fact it’s always been damned near impossible. That’s been true for all time. It doesn’t mean we should ever take it for granted, or expect to receive it for free.
BUY LOCAL. BUY DIRECT. BUY LIVE. Most local shows charge $5-$10 to get in. Figure 100 people = $500-$1000 at the door. It’s been my experience that MOST local bands don’t get 100 paid through the door. But, for the sake of argument let’s take a band that can earn $1000 per appearance (there are a few). The band would have to play 200 shows to gross $200,000.00 (two hundred thousand). Divide that by however many people there are to pay in that “small business.”
For the record, MOST local bands don’t get close to smelling $200,000 a year.
Now add the cost of producing a recording.
It’s pretty common to see $800-$1200 cost per song finished and packaged… but not effectively promoted. 15 songs = $12,000 – $18,000. Average price sold per song = <$1.00. Average price earned per unit of listen via streaming = <$.01 USD.
BUY DIRECT when you’re able. BUY LIVE – see a show. BUY LOCAL always.
A friend, Trinity Demask, sent out a reminder about her new upcoming album and attached was a link to the “Standing O Project.” From the website:
The Standing “O” Project is a network of music and delight that generates financial support for musicians.
In return for a small monthly contribution, fans get a ton of exclusive music, rare interviews, unusual content, and the opportunity to get to know artists on a personal level.
Every month, 50% of the membership revenue goes directly back to the musicians. The rest supports this site and the public radio program that spawned it.
This project was built by touring musicians who understand the challenges of living from gig to gig.
The site is populated by several BIG names among the 300+ singer songwriters, including from Colorado, Lisa Bell, Philip Bailey, Megan Burtt, and Katey Laurel to name a few.
VIDEO PICK of the WEEK
Keep your eyes open to local media for shows from rising blues/rhythm & blues/rock guitarist/vocalist Taylor Scott – who is touring with Otis Taylor, as well as his own band that at least according to this video includes Jon Wirtz on keyboards and Chris Harris on bass (I don’t know the drummer). RIYL Derek Trucks etc … Can’t wait to see Taylor at a festival event this summer.
PLAYLIST S9|EP8 FEB 2015
(D) = debut of lp, ep, or single
(N) = new cut from previously debuted lp or ep
HOUR 1
The Apples in Stereo “Signal In the Sky (Let’s Go)” from Let’s Go (2001) Sherri Jackson “Liberation” from Moments in Denial (1996) (D) Dearling “Do You Love Me” from Do You Love Me (2015) Arthur Lee Land “Cracked Open” from Cracked Open (2013) (D) AMZY “5 To Midnight” from We Don’t Walk We Dance (2015) Jeff Austin “Fiddling Around” from The Simple Truth (2015) Mosey West “Gone” from Merica (2012) Equally Challenged “Like It Was” from EQC2 (2015) Esme Patterson “Valentine” from Woman To Woman (2014) (N) Land Lines “Help” from Natural World (2015)Eldren “We Just Want the World” from SpokesBUZZ Vol V: Band Together (2015) Claymore Disco “Light Ahead of Me” from Light Ahead of Me (2014) Tia Fuller “Descend to Barbados” from Angelic Warrior (2012)
HOUR 2
The Moonrakers “Love Train” from Together With Him (1968) The Astronauts “Crawfish Song” from Rockin With The Astronauts (1964) Reed Foehl “Rodeo Clown” from Lost in the West (2014) Brothers Keeper “Why Do You Fall” from Todd Meadows (2014) Alan & Martin “Missin’ Kissin’ You” from Only Boys Back Then (2012) (N) Selasee and the Fafa Family “Yes I Know” from Time for Peace (2015) Wendy Woo “Hold On” from Live (2013) (D) Michal Menert “Your Ghost” from Elements (2013)(D) Pan Astral “You Need” from Color Field (2015)Ben Markley ~ Clint Ashlock Quintet “The Return” from The Return (2014)
Please visit my friends’ sites. They keep this thing going.
Much appreciated.
Colorado Case Company a Fort Collins based, Colorado family owned business specializing in insulated soft cases, gig bags, case covers and rigid cases for most instruments, including hard to fit instruments.
SpokesBUZZ, a Colorado non-profit with a mission to develop the professionalism of artists, promote and connect progressive cultural destinations, amplify music scenes, and grow local economies. See event calendar for Spokesbuzz band shows.
The historic Mishawaka Amphitheatre, Northern Colorado’s Musical Playground, and seriously one of the most badass music venues in the state.
It’s that season when flu and colds hit out of the blue .. kinda like operating system failures that cannot be restored. My main pc went down last week this time, and my laptop appeared to on Sunday when Jesse Elliott (Ark Life) and Bryce Merrill were sitting with me in my dining room discussing the music scene here regionally. Fortunately, that blip was just that – just a minor heart attack; my pc, not so much.
You’ve only got a couple of days left to get in on this job opening … KGNU Community Radio, broadcast from Boulder and Denver, Colorado, and streamed online, seeks a full-time Station Manager to lead their nonprofit broadcast and online media organization. See
Congrats to former Fort Collins Coloradoan reporter Stacy Nick who got laid off at one gig to land another equally impressive role as Culture Arts & Music reporter for 
Artists Wanted for Support Local Culture Support Local Culture is a joint venture between 
(1) 1. 
The cold and snow have jarred my brain somehow. Normally I spend my Sundays working on this blogpost. Yeah – no. Not this week. Somehow I got stuck.
The Standing “O” Project
Chris K's Colorado Playlist 