WEEKEND MUSIC REVIEW NOV 17 2019

Friday night we attended the Whippoorwill album release show at Washington’s in Fort Collins.  The show featured recent North Carolina transplant, Courtney Hartman.  

Saturday night I emcee’d Strings and Stories featuring members of the Elephant Collective in Longmont, presented by the Future Arts Foundation.

After that show ended at a very reasonable 9:30PM, we drifted over to Oskar Blues Homemade Liquids and Solids for a late night dinner and to catch up with good friends, Kerry Pastine and the Crime Scene. 

 We didn’t stay long at Oskar Blues.  As usual, the Crime Scene brought a full house, and a rockin’ band to the stage.  Despite a replacement drummer, the band continues to show why they’re one of the best blues based roots rock and roll bands in our scene. The driving energy that comes off the stage is palpable.

The Strings & Stories concert series features national and local musicians in a very intimate and stripped down atmosphere. Musicians will play songs from their catalog and tell their stories. Proceeds from each concert will provide an instrument to a local school in need.”

The Elephant Collective is a production house, artist development agency and music media platform founded by Dango Rose (Elephant Revival). They offer production, collaborative songwriting, and personalized coaching services focused on career growth for musicians. 

The Elephant Collective set featured former founding Elephant Revival members Dango Rose, Sage Cook and Bridget Law, along with two friends, newcomer Bob Berrick aka Kingdom Jasmine and Jonny Miller aka J Robert Miller from the Lonesome Days.

Dango, Sage and Bridget performed songs from the Elephant Revival catalog as well as songs from their own personal collections.  Each told stories behind their songs.  Sage’s often humorous off-tangent stories proved to be a hit with the sold out audience in the small Firehouse Arts Center performance room.

On the other side of the stage, the very pregnant (35 weeks) Bridget law owned the audience with an angelic (albeit breathy) voice, and stunning violin work.  Bridget also recently released an album with her husband’s Tierro Band.

Strings and Stories is one of the region’s rare actual listening events, and it’s all for a great cause.  Future Arts Foundation is also producing the Bluebird Music Festival next April.  The final S&S show is December 14th, and it’s SOLD OUT… sorry.

Album release shows are very often the most exciting shows a band from our region performs.  Typically, and the case here, it’s when the greatest number of local fans come out in celebration.  Whippoorwill’s crowd and a strong contingent of Courtney Hartman supporters nearly filled the nine hundred seat Washington’s FoCO (a Colorado Playlist sponsor).

Courtney did an adequate job as the opening act, her quiet presence on the stage and intricate compositions perhaps better suited for smaller, quieter, more attentive audiences.  She showed her admirable guitar skills also during Whippoorwill’s set.

Whippoorwill is essentially a trio, featuring Patti Fiasco leader Alysia Kraft (guitar, vocals), Staci Foster (guitar, banjo, harmonica, vocals), and Tobias Bank (drums, vocals).   The band was rounded out on stage with the album’s producer, J.Tom Hnatow from Kentucky on keyboards and pedal steel, along with the session bass player.

A seasoned leader of the high energy alternative country-rock band Patti Fiasco, that has opened for the likes of Bon Jovi at the Pepsi Center, Kraft’s presence dominates.  She prowls and stalks the stage with externalized emotional energy, throwing ball buster level kicks and holding her shimmering silver electric guitar like she’ll seriously mess you up if you try to take it from her.  Everything about Alysia screams “big stage persona.”

Her partner in music and life, Staci Foster, is the internalized muse – and the perfect quiet complement to Alysia’s highly kinetic stage presence.  Staci’s demurely reserved presence is amplified by an equally timid and delicate voice, contrasting suitably against Alysia’s upfront rock and roll attitude.

Drummer and vocalist Tobias Bank fills in all the required spaces, vocally and rhythmically.  Together with Kraft, the three core members of Whippoorwill presented themselves as one of the best country inspired vocal trios on the Front Range today.

There’s little doubt Whippoorwill will be one of the better drawing bands in Northern Colorado in 2020, with Alysia Kraft further cementing her legacy as one of the top female entertainers in our state from over the past decade, regardless of the band she fronts or shares the spotlight with.

CP S13 EP04 2019

Monday Jan 21, 2019 – one of the most incredible things about the Colorado music scene is the nearly bottomless depth of talent.  Every week I hear about new bands that have been playing for sometimes years, that I never heard about before.  I also come across new organizations and communities formed to encourage support and collaboration, across genres and styles.  Two this week.

Colorado Original Band Community – This forum / group page is for Colorado fans, band members and or folks interested in learning and contributing to The Colorado Original Band / Musician Scene with open transparency. There are many different entities who are members of this page. Club / venue owners, promoters, booking agents, management, industry reps local to national and most important, paying fans. This is also a place for beginners, intermediate and expert level musicians to ask questions of any level or to post interesting, funny or educational info. 

For the Love of Locals – For The Love Of Locals was started as a platform to fortify Colorado music. Founded and operated by Colorado musicians, their focus was always centered around showcasing Colorado talent, while giving fans, family and friends an easy and inexpensive way to support their favorite local artists.   Their best of Colorado 2018 Spotify playlist is worth a listen.

Every week I post up the MMMM (Monday Morning Music Meeting).  This is your chance to let me know what you think of the new songs I played on the show.  I do hope you’re enjoying this feature, and will continue to make your vote known, to KEEP or DELETE.

ALSO — don’t forget.  If you’d like to stream the show, it’s available weekly at www.coloradosound.org/


105.5 The Colorado Sound & the Colorado Playlist Present:

Daniel Rodriguez Music (of Elephant Revival) With Jay & Mimi of Fruition
at the Fox Theater (Boulder) Wed, Feb 14

DBUK CD Release Concert at Lost Lake (Denver) Wed, January 30

Gasoline Lollipops at The Gothic Theater (Denver) Fri, Feb 22

Patti Fiasco and Mama Lenny and The Remedy at Washington’s FoCo
(Fort Collins) Friday, January 25

The Widow’s Bane at The Bluebird Theater (Denver) Thursday, March 7 2019

FOR MORE GREAT SHOWS SEE COLORADOSOUND.ORG


At Bohemian Foundation, our focus is on building community …by coming together to create and enjoy music.

VIDEO PICK OF THE WEEK

DBUK (Denver Broncos UK) is a spin-off from Slim Cessna’s Auto Club fronted by Munly. “And God Bless You” is the second video from their upcoming album “Songs Nine Through Sixteen” due out January 25.


MONDAY MORNING MUSIC MEETING

Don’t forget to let me know if there’s something I should be playing on the show.  I scour Spotify, YouTube, Soundcloud and Bandcamp to find you the freshest new music from around the state – hope you’ll help out by voting to KEEP or DELETE the new music shares in the MMMM each week.

(D) = debut LP/EP or single
(N) = new track from previously debuted LP/EP
(E) = Colorado Playlist exclusive premier

CP S13 EP04 2019

A 20 song sampling of this week’s show.  As usual there are some missing pieces … fewer in the Spotify playlist.

HOUR 1

Rare Silk “Up from the Skies” from American Eyes (1985)
(D) Hello Mountain “The Window” from Transcend (2019)


Pandas & People “Breathing Room” from Out to Sea (2017)
Angie Stevens & the Beautiful Wreck “Pedal to the Metal” from Beautiful and True (2016)
(N) Ethyl & the Regulars “The Train” from Honest Work (2018)
Halden Wofford & the Hi Beams “Little Rig” from Hard Core Broken Heart (2018)
Jeff Finlin “Is This Love” from Ballad Of A Plain Man (2008)
Mollie O’Brien & Rich Moore “Sunday Street” from Love Runner (2014)
Magic Music “Gandy Dancer” from The Magic Music Movie – 40 Years In the Making (2018)
(D) Blue Street Walls “Like A Child” from Like A Child (2019)


Kyle Emerson “Wise Blood” from Dorothy Alice (2017)
The Wood Brothers “Snake Eyes” from Paradise (2015)
Ryan A. Fourt “Grapple At the Snapple” from Big Slick (2016)

HOUR 2

Firefall “Winds of Change” from Elan (1978)
(D) The Motet “Highly Compatible” from Death or Devotion (2019)


Big Head Todd & The Monsters “Detonator” from New World Arisin’ (2017)
Leftover Salmon “Get Up and Go” from High Country (2014)
(N) Anthony Ruptak “Black Water” from A Place That Never Changes (2019)


Paul Kimbiris “Song of Summer” from May Day EP (2018)
Bonnie and The Clydes “the Storm” from Music for People: Part I (2014)
Danny Shafer “i am” from Wherever You Are (2013)
Jenny Shawhan “Trouble Finds Me” (2018)
(D) Steve Skinner Band with Erica Brown “Self-Made Woman” (2019)  

Grant Sabin & the Juke Joint Highball “Homesick” from Bourbon & Milk (2017)
Scott Martin “The Meaning Of Midnight” from Alone At Sunset (2018)

News Notes & Spins – September 1, 2011

NOTES:

This column is intended to a kind of regional tip sheet, much like what we in radio used to get monthly from different sources .. it identifies what we in the state are airing as djs, and what the individual stations are representing musically here in the state.  

In Colorado we’re blessed beyond measure by the sheer number of public/community and college stations in our communities.  There are about twenty radio stations of this type in the state today, the most of any state that I can find.  Our charts this month represent spins data from over fifteen stations and specialty shows (commercial and non-comm) around the state.

KRFC Fort Collins is, and has been, the undisputed KING of Colorado spins among all radio stations in the state.  Today, approximately 13% (1/7) of all titles aired 6A-12A on KRFC are Colorado-based, up from an average of 6% per month prior to August 8th, when new program director John Hayes installed a new / more Colorado-focused format.

Add to the list those commercial stations that air Colorado-based specialty programming (KBCO, KTCL, KQMT) or that include new and breaking artists in their general programming … and you’ve got one of the healthiest states in the union where it comes to how much regionally produced music is heard on terrestrial radio, and subsequently via the Internet. I also need to pay some serious props to KGNU (Boulder).  In an email exchange while gathering spins data for this month’s column, KGNU music director  John Schaefer informed me that ” KGNU is, and has been, committed to the local music scene for 33 years.

Every programmer I’ve spoken to around the state says they’re willing to air more Colorado-based music… with one caveat – they have to receive it in the mail first.  As they tell me all the time – they cannot air what they do not have in their libraries.  Seems we’re doing a great job of getting music to KRFC (nearly 500 titles from 2010-2011 in their database), but too many of the other stations are going without.  My advice — if Colorado-based artists were to flood the stations with releases, the stations would have little choice but to air more of what they get.  😉

NEWS:

Lynette O’Kane,  Assistant Music Director – “Late summer at KDNK.:   News reporter Mat Katz left our fair valley to work in the Big Apple and is currently slogging around in the wet of Irene.  We are currently in the middle of our fall membership drive and holding steady.  Check out the www.kdnk.org Music Page for lists of new releases, live broadcasts and music reviews.”

Grant McFarren, Music Director – “KBUT recently wrapped up yet another record breaking pledge drive, meeting our goal of $40,000 in just over 9 days! Big thanks to everyone in and out of the Gunnison Valley who made this drive wildly successful.”

Bummer news coming out of KUVO.  A posting on Hazel Miller’s facebook page indicated that assistant music director/air talent Susan Gatchet-Reese is gone from KUVO (Denver).  More news here as soon as I can get it.

Welcome KRZA Alamosa/Taos to the mix this month — and welcome to new Music Director Catie Moore.  Catie was doing front office work at KRZA from December 2010 until this past July when she was “promoted” to music director —- a hard and too often thankless task for sure, as she winds through mountains of releases each month.

Finally this month, welcome back KCSU – off since the summer break began in May.  Nic Turiciano is their new music director.  I’m looking forward to seeing what they come up with.  If this month’s station list below is any indication, it should be pretty adventurous.

A note on the spins chart.  I’ve added the date [month-yr] the release was added to the tracking spreadsheet – very often an indicator of when a station began reporting it to me.

TOP 40 ALBUM SPINS – August 2011
(160 titles reported / 359 titles tracked)
(LM) TM
(D) = debut, first time on chart)
(R) = re-entered chart)

(3) 1. Devotchka – 100 Lovers (Anti) adult alternative [Dec-10]
(1) 2. Finnders & Youngberg – FY5 (self) bluegrass/americana [Apr-11]
(6) 3. Spring Creek – Hold On Me (self) bluegrass  [Jul-11]
(14) 4. John Common and Blinding Flashes of Light – Beautiful Empty [Free School] rock/adult alternative [re-added Apr-11]
(18) 4. Zach Heckendorf – The Cool Down (self) rock/pop [Jul-11]
(25) 5. Paper Bird – Carry On (Long Spoon) americana  [Jul-11]
(R) 6. Gabrielle Louise – Mirror the Branches (self) folk/americana [Aug-10]
(16) 7. Jami Lunde – Big Black Birds (self) americana/contemporary adult [Jun-11]
(D) 8. Cassie Taylor – Blue (Hypertension) blues/pop/contemporary adult  [Aug-11]
(7) 8. Elephant Revival – Break in the Clouds (Ruff Shod Records) folk/americana [Nov-10]
(11) 8. H2 Big Band – You’re It! (Jazzed Media) jazz  [Jul-11]
(D) 9. Kim Jones – Lucky Girl (self) folk/singer-songwriter  [Jul-11] *
(D) 10. The Holler! – Gratitude (self) americana/folk-rock  [May-11]
(D) 11. Pat Murphy – The Paul Howard Project (self) funk/r&b/soul  [Aug-11]
(D) 11. The Dirty Lookers – Audio Voyeur (self) rock  [Aug-11]
(R) 12. Dotsero – Storyhouse (Cinderblock Records)  jazz/contemporary  [Mar-11]
(2) 12. Wendy Woo Band – Austerity (Woomusic) rock/contemporary adult  [Jun-11]
(R) 13. Justin Roth – Now You Know  (Rothirric Music) folk/singer-songwriter  [Mar-11]
(R) 14. Carmen Sandim Sextet – Brand New (Dazzle Recordings) jazz  [Feb-11] *
(R) 15. Fox Street Allstars – Welcome to the Mighty Pleasin’ (self) rock/roots/r&b  [Jan-11]
(3) 16. Rose Hill Drive – Americana (Slowly and Shirley) rock/modern hard rock  [Jul-11]
(17) 16. The Haunted Windchimes – Live at the Western Jubilee (Blank Tape)  americana/folk  [May-11]
(D) 17. Fingers of the Sun – Fingers of the Sun (self)  indie/folk-rock  [May-11]
(R) 18. Danielle Ate the Sandwich – Two Bedroom Apartment (self) folk/modern/pop  [Jun-10]
(19) 18. Gary Bragg – High Plains Storm (Q&B Records) americana/country  [Apr-11] *
(R) 18. White Water Ramble – All Night Drive (self) bluegrass/jamgrass  [Jul-10] *
(R) 19. Big Head Todd and the Monsters – Rocksteady (BIG) rock/contemporary adult  [Jun-10]
(D) 19. Houses – Winter (self) rock/adult alternative  [Aug-11]
(12) 19. John Oates – Mississippi Mile (PS Records) blues/americana  [Apr-11]
(D) 19. the Still City – Brittle Bones (self)  indie/folk-rock  [Aug-11]
(R) 20. Grant Gordy – Grant Gordy (self)  instrumental/neo-acoustic  [Apr-10]
(6) 20. Jim Stranahan – Free For All (Capri Records)  jazz  [Apr-11]
(R) 21. The Chain Gang of 1974 – Wayward Fire (Modern Art Records) electronic/dance  [Jun-11]
(8) 21. The Patti Fiasco – The Patti Fiasco (self) rock/alternative country- rock  [Jul-11]
(24) 22. Big Head Todd and the Monsters – Big Head Blues Club: 100 Years of Robert Johnson (Ryko)  blues  [Jan-11]
(R) 22. Nathaniel Rateliff – In Memory of Loss (Rounder Records)  folk/modern   [Mar-10]
(R) 23. Stray Grass – Written in the Stars (self)  bluegrass/jamgrass  [Mar-11]
(R) 24. Fierce Bad Rabbit – Spools of Thread (self)  rock/alternative/indie  [Sep-10]
(R) 24. John-Alex Mason – Jook Joint Thunderclap (Naked Jaybird) blues  [Jan-11]
(D) 24. Jonny Barber & the Living Deads – Jonny Barber & the Living Deads (self)  rock  [Aug-11]
(D) 24. Lionel Young Band – On Our Way to Memphis (self) blues  [Aug-11]
(22) 24. Musketeer Gripweed – Dyin’ Day (self) rock/blues  [Sep-10]

*serviced to radio/press by Chris K. dba Rocky Mountain Music Network

Fell Out of TOP 40 – August
4.  Great American Taxi – Reckless Habits
9.  Rene Marie – Voice of My Beautiful Country
10. The Hickman-Dalton Gang – The Hickman-Dalton Gang Vol II
13. Rob Roper – Misfit
15. Brad Goode – Tight Like This
16. Adam Bodine Trio – Up ‘N Hear
18. Adam Stern – High Country Gentleman
18. Dave Sonner – the American Campus
20. Bonnie and The Clydes – Bonnie And The Clydes
20. Judy Wexler – Under A Painted Sky
21. Andy Hackbarth – The Last Love Song
21. Jeff Finlin – The Tao of Motor Oil
21. Megan Burtt – It Ain’t Love
21. Slim Cessna’s Auto Club – Unentitled
22. Bop Skizzum – Push
22. Hazel Miller Band – Coming to You Live… From KUVO
22. Otis Taylor – Clovis People, Vol. 3
22. Veronica – Emerging from Troubled Days
23. Broken Spoke – Before There Were Easy Riders
23. Mohammed Alidu and the Bizung Family – Land of Fire
23. Tennis – Cape Dory
25. My Body Sings Electric – Changing Color

ADDED – August
3 Twins Broadband – 3 Twins Broadband
a shoreline dream – Losing Them All To This Time
Beats Noir! – Beats Noir!
Cary Morin – Sing It Louder
Cassie Taylor – Blue
Chubby Lover – Puberty is for Wieners
Cougarpants – demos
Driftwood Fire – How To Untangle A Heartache
El Toro De La Muerte – Danger These Days
Elena Klaver – Promise of Spring
Fingerhook – Roostah
Force Publique – Force Publique
Georgann Low – Les Progres De L’Amour (Seasons Of Love)
Houses – Winter
Jayme Stone – Room of Wonders
Jonny Barber & the Living Deads – Jonny Barber & the Living Deads
Lionel Young Band – On Our Way to Memphis
Mancub – 8 Bit Crush
Pat Murphy – The Paul Howard Project
Pink Hawks – Shima
Post Paradise – The New Normal
School Knights – ALL DAWGZ GO 2 HEAVEN
The Dirty Lookers – Audio Voyeur
the Still City – Brittle Bones
Various artists – Hot Congress Records Sampler 2011
You Me and Apollo – Cards with Cheats

REPORTING STATION CHARTS

KAFM (Grand Junction)
1. The Chain Gang of 1974 – Wayward Fire
2. Spring Creek – Hold On Me
3. Adam Stern –  High Country Gentleman
3. Chris Thompson – The Road Ahead
4. Dotsero – Storyhouse
4. Jack + Jill – Brightest Star in the Nightmare

KBUT (Crested Butte)
1. Spring Creek – Hold On Me
2. Elephant Revival – Break in the Clouds
2. Finnders & Youngberg – FY5
3. Devotchka – 100 Lovers
3. Fingers of the Sun – Fingers of the Sun

KCSU (Fort Collins)
1. You Me and Apollo – Cards with Cheats
1. Act So Big Forest – Compilation 2: Auriel
1. Force Publique – Force Publique
2. Mancub – 8 Bit Crush
2. Cougarpants – demos

KDNK (Carbondale)
1. Justin Roth – Now You Know
1. Spring Creek – Hold On Me
2. Beth Quist – New Moon
2. Carmen Sandim Sextet – Brand New
2. Elephant Revival – Break in the Clouds
2. John Oates – Mississippi Mile

KGNU (Boulder)
1. Pink Hawks – Shima
2. Git Some – Loose Control
3. Paper Bird – Carry On
4. Devotchka – 100 Lovers
5. Finnders and Youngberg – FY5

KOTO (Telluride)
1. Wendy Woo Band – Austerity
2. Jami Lunde – Big Black Birds
2. Zach Heckendorf – The Cool Down
3. Big Head Todd & the Monsters – Big Head Blues Club: 100 Years Of Robert Johnson

KRCC (Colorado Springs)
1. Burn the Maps – Terra Incognita
2. The Haunted Windchimes – Live at the Western Jubilee
3. Big Jim Adam & John Stilwagen – Back in My Hometown
4. the Yes We Cans – Better Days
4. Joe Johnson – A Time to Dance
4. The Haunted Windchimes – Honey Moonshine

KRFC (Fort Collins)
1. Patti Fiasco – The Patti Fiasco
2. Holler! – Gratitude
3. Fierce Bad Rabbit – Spools of Thread
3. Finnders and Youngberg – FY5
3. John-Alex Mason – Jook Joint Thunderclap
3. Musketeer Gripweed – Dyin’ Day

KUNC (Greeley)
1. Devotchka – 100 Lovers
2. Justin Roth – Now You Know
2. Wendy Woo Band – Austerity
3. Andy Hackbarth – The Last Love Song
3. Cassie Taylor – Blue

KUVO (Denver)
1. Jim Stranahan – Free For All
2. Judy Wexler – Under A Painted Sky
3. H2 Big Band – You’re It!
4. Adam Bodine Trio – Up ‘N Hear
4. Brad Goode – Tight Like This
4. Dotsero – Storyhouse
4. Peter Sommer – Tremolo Canteen

KVNF (Paonia)
1. Paper Bird – Carry On
2. Spring Creek – Hold On Me
3. The Quiet American – Vol. II
4. The Haunted Windchimes – Live at the Western Jubilee
5. Big Head Todd and the Monsters – Rocksteady

The Colorado Sound … No real spins chart for the show this month.  It was a short month.  I took some of the month off to focus on producing and/or emceeing a couple of festivals.  Here’s what was “Hot” in August (other than the weather).  I do have to say I was particularly enamored of The Dirty Lookers album — a rough and tumble jouncy ride along the intersection of rock n roll, rhythm & blues, and punk.

  • The Dirty Lookers – Audio Voyeur
  • Gabrielle Louise – Mirror the Branches
  • Kim Jones – Lucky Girl*
  • Pat Murphy – The Paul Howard Project
  • Zach Heckendorf – The Cool Down

*serviced to radio/press by Chris K. dba Rocky Mountain Music Network

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