Casey James Prestwood and the Burning Angels

Parker Library's Live Local Music Series presents Casey James Prestwood and the Burning Angels at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 29, 2011, in Room A at the library. Directions: http://douglascountylibraries.org/Locations/ParkerLibrary
Follow Parker Library's Live Local Music Series @ http://twitter.com/colorado_music

BLKHRTS Ball info from King FOE

From King FOE:

"What's going down? The time has come!!! BLKHRTS CD Release Party Jan. 8th at GLOB 3551 Brighton Blvd Denver, CO. Doors at 8pm with performances by The Pirate Signal, Flashlights, Lust Cars Of The Gutter, & DJ Peter Black. Hosted by Johnny 5 of the Flobots. THIS NIGHT WILL BE AMAZING! Cover is $5 and CD's will be available night of the show!

"For those who can not make it to Colorado for the BLKHRTS Ball we will be heading out on tour a week later first stopping off on the West Coast, I will be updating show dates daily. Also album will be available on iTunes.

"Thank you very much for your support. I'll see you Jan. 8th!!!!"

Artist review: Vicki Cicala

Vicki Cicala -- Vicki Cicala [EP]
By Jeanie Straub
ColoradoMusicBuzz.com

I was one who did love-to-death Pat Benatar and Quaterflash way back when I was running home from the school bus stop with my girlfriend from across the street in rural Boulder County; we were running home so we could watch the new cable channel called MTV. Now, however, it is 2010, almost 2011 and Vicki Cicala’s four-song EP -- a “smash-up of ’80s pop, metal and folk rock coupled with beautifully haunting vocals,” as her myspace page puts it -- tends to just sound dated. (It feels like you’re watching a TV show where no one has any cell phones yet.) Ms. Cicala certainly does have a strong voice, a voice I could listen to longer if this were simply an ’80s-influenced CD. But to just be transported back to the ’80s -- I just want to change the channel, move ahead to something new, innovative. You need to be something more than a throwback; you need to integrate, to add something new to the mix to sustain interest here. Even the lyrics and guitar licks feel tired.

Recorded and produced by Trevor Huster

myspace.com/vickicicala

Holiday flute, harp in Live Local Series

Flutist Susan Kerbs Townsend and harpist Don Hilsberg perform in Parker Library's Live Local Music Series on Saturday, Dec. 11, by the fireplace at Parker Library. It was one of our best attended shows ever.

Casey James Prestwood and the Burning Angels ...

Country music sensation Casey James Prestwood and the Burning Angels will do our Live Local Music Series at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 29, in Room A at Parker Library.

Here's the band's bio, courtesy of Kate Prestwood ...

If the late night scene on Broadway Street in Nashville, Tennessee could talk, it would sing you a Casey James Prestwood tune. Drenched in the honest twang that made Gram Parsons and Hank Williams household names, the classic crooner's carefree vocals and careful guitar playing feel more like country than a worn-in pair of cowboy boots. Prestwood's latest album "Falling Apart At The Seams" was produced by Grammy Award Winner John Macy, and the collaboration between the two has paid off: the songs are beautifully arranged and masterfully delivered, transporting the listener immediately to the glory days of Grand Ole Opry and the Ryman Auditorium. As "classic" as this record may seem, make no mistake--the songs are as timeless as the love and loss that Prestwood sings of, each pulling at your heartstrings more than the next. No stranger to the alt. country scene, Prestwood has played as a sideman with such acclaimed bands as Drag The River, Rocky Votolato, and Hot Rod Circuit. He ventured off into his own territory with his record “ The Hurtin Kind,” released in 2006. On his latest record, Prestwood gets a hand from legendary country players such as Jaydee Maness, Neil Flanz, and Hank Singer to give the record its polished country feel. From the singer's hit song "Whiskey, Peroxide & Smoke," Prestwood tells us, "Temptation is a vice we all have. And regret is the thing that makes temptation hard." The only regret to be had after listening to Prestwood is to wish you'd heard his stuff sooner.

Artist review: Frogs Gone Fishin’

Frogs Gone Fishin’ -- Actual Natural [LP]
by Jeanie Straub
JStraub@ColoradoMusicBuzz.com

In Actual Natural, the second CD from Frogs Gone Fishin’, the talented foursome -- Trevor Jones (guitar, vocals), Mark Levy (drums, percussion, vocals), Andrew Portwood (guitar, vocals), and "Heady" Steve Rogers (bass, vocals) -- deliver their signature post-Sixties jam-band sound with their usual polish. Don’t take that to mean that they’re staid: They are as energetic and groove-a-licious as ever, offering up a deliciously psychedelic funk that is consistently solid -- this is one sophomore CD that is not “uneven” -- and a rock-’n’-roll quality that lends mass appeal. Especially splendid is the guitar work throughout this 12-song LP that while heavily stylized is still spontaneous and downright fun.

Label: Mountain Size Records

frogsgonefishin.com
myspace.com/frogsgonefishin

Artist review: Michael Adam ...

Michael Adam -- The Maybe EP
By Jeanie Straub
Colorado Music Buzz (November 2010 issue)
JStraub@ColoradoMusicBuzz.com

This is Boulder-based Michael Adam’s debut, and you’ll pretty much be floored by that fact when you hear these five fully realized singles. What you have is an energetic blend of country, folk and pop that is also mature and achieves a certain depth and resonance that you would expect of a much later CD. Voice-wise he sounds a bit like a country-ish Eddie Vedder, and the musical accompaniment is full and fantastic and at times seems to reflect a different era. (This is highly polished stuff.) Adam was born in Guatemala, the son of missionaries, and moved to Denver as a teen. He attended college in Boston but came back to Colorado to complete a master’s degree in Spanish lit. Adam’s myspace page notes of The Maybe EP: “Recorded in the early Boulder mornings before … classes, Michael Adam laid down his tracks running back and forth from the studio. One time he even had to buy a huge bag of salt to melt all the ice that bedded his beat-up mini van on the road to meet his producer.” That dedication and passion shows. Definitely paid off.

Band members: Michael Adam (lead vocals, guitar); Erin Jo Harris (vocals); Brian McRae (drums); Ben Holst (bass); Matt Amundson (drums on “Dreams”); Tracy Calkins (additional vocals on “Maybe”)

http://www.myspace.com/michaeladam
http://michael-adam.com/

The Denver band Musuji is looking for a music writer to accompany them on tour, expenses (mostly) paid

The Denver band Musuji is going on a "short" tour from Jan. 26-31 and is looking for a writer to accompany them.

According to Arnie of the band, Musuji means "wild with madness" and the band's tours are just that.

They asked Colorado Music Buzz: "We are wondering if you have a writer who would be willing to attend the tour with us, and write about what he or she witnesses."

From the band:

"We are going to Portland, Eugene, and Tacoma, and possibly Boise on the tour. We understand it is hard to take time off of work, but if you could, you wouldn't have to worry about many expenses, we will get groceries before and would pay for any lodge and travel costs. We also are good at paying for booze. If you decide to go, I'm sure it would be a great experience, and make for a great story."

email JStraub@ColoradoMusicBuzz.com for Arnie's telephone number.

Feedback on TLDOTY review ...

From Sean Lamborne regarding The Longest Day of the Year review in Colorado Music Buzz:

Thanks for the great write up in CO Music Buzz! So very kind of you, I hope you truly enjoyed the EP... working on a new one soon that will be better produced, etc.

I was at West Side Book Store in Highland Ranch for an authors book signing, Chris Guillebeau, this evening and as he was talking about making a living out of doing what you love best I looked over and saw CO Music Buzz, grabbed it and flipped through while he was talking and was so thrilled to see the review. It has been a tough couple of week for me and my wife (not getting jobs we interviewed for, etc) and it really added a nice touch to everything, gives me inspiration to keep going.

And yesterday I was wondering why our reverbnation visits had been so high, no doubt the review had something to do with that!

Thanks again and I hope to see you around the library world again soon!

Best Regards
Sean Lamborne

Artist review: Halden Wofford & the Hi Beams -- Sinners & Saints [LP]

Halden Wofford & the Hi Beams -- Sinners & Saints [LP]
By Jeanie Straub
Colorado Music Buzz

Sinners & Saints, the third CD by Halden Wofford & the Hi-Beams, is appropriately named because this CD, released in August, is as close to a religious experience as you’re going to get for the remainder of the year. Wofford & the Hi-Beams are known all along the Front Range and beyond for their original sound that is all classic Texas honky tonk and western swing -- steel guitars, snare drum, stand-up bass, mandolins, acoustic guitars -- overlaid with Wofford’s distinctive vocals that recall Hank Williams Sr., Buddy Holly and Bob Wills.

Band members: Bret Billings (pedal and non-pedal steel guitars, harmonica, dobro and Rocket One-ten lap steel); Ben O’Connor (upright bass); Greg Schochet (electric and acoustic guitars and mandolins); Damon Smith (drum set and all percussion); Halden Wofford (acoustic guitar, piano and vocals)

www.hibeams.com

Quote of the day from @Lefsetz ...

"It's like the mainstream has got the pedal to the metal. Powering headlong towards the cliff. I guess the drivers are planning to eject just before the precipice, but I don't understand why they think we want to go along for the ride. No one likes to be a passenger, with no control in a disaster. That's why we hate being in the back of the plane. We want to be in charge of our own destiny, we want to drive, we want to be in control.

"And that's what the Web is all about. Everybody piloting their own ship, at their own speed. Discovering music is like going to a new country, one that's existed for years, that others may have visited, but that you've never been to."

-- Bob Lefsetz

Quote of the day from my favorite music blogger, Bob Lefsetz

"We no longer live in the twentieth century, when MTV anointed an act and everybody bought it (but isn't it fascinating they all had such a brief shelf-life.) Now no specific medium has a hold on audience mindshare and the public is used to things being here today and gone tomorrow. Like the Keith Richards hype. A tsunami last week, nonexistent this week. And that's fine if you're selling a finite consumable that everybody needs on one day, like Gatorade in hundred degree heat, but if you want people to pay again the hype has to sustain. And it isn't exactly hype, you have to continue to be in people's minds. And you can only do this by creating music that people need. This is not a momentary hit. You've got to speak from the gut, you've got to touch souls."

--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1

Rachel James release party 11/20

Rachel James releases EP Landing at Soiled Dove

Press release from Melissa Lycan, president of Whisper Fiercely, the manager of Ms. James:

"Rachel James will be releasing her new EP Landing at a CD release party at the Soiled Dove Underground next month. Music performed by Michael Child, Caleb Slade and Rachel James continuing through the night. The EP called Landing, recorded with Caleb Slade as executive producer, Joe Richmond (Churchill) as co-producer and engineer, Nate Meese (Meese) playing guitar, and Ian Short (Hello Kavita) playing strings, promises to be a departure, but a happy one from Rachel's normal pop/rock sound. Free download cards will be available, along with Rachel's virgin line of apparel and earlier CD's for sale. Drink specials all night long and a $10 cover at the door.

"Meeting up earlier this year, Kevin Jochem (drummer), Darius Pope (bass player and moonlight bass player for Tickle Me Pink) and Hosung Son (guitarist) will all be playing. With varied backgrounds in progressive rock, jazz, pop and blues, the members of Rachel James share a unique blend of harmony, beats and structure. Additions to the evening are Nicole Benton playing cello (Born in Winter) and Chuck Hugenberg playing violin. The night promises to showcase an eclectic grouping of Rachel's tunes. Rachel’s music is heavily influenced by: the classical composers, as well as, Bruce Hornsby, Stevie Nicks, Feist, Switchfoot, 30 Seconds to Mars, Death Cab for Cutie and many others that have contributed to her versatile sound.

"Please visit the website for more information at http://www.IAmRachelJames.com.

"For booking, please contact Sarah Slaton with The Vinefield Agency at (303) 669-0461. Rachel James is exclusively managed by Melissa Lycan, Junior Artist Agent, Fury Artist Management, LLC."

Artist review: In the Whale -- Satan, Be Gone!

In the Whale -- Satan, Be Gone! [EP]
By Jeanie Straub
Colorado Music Buzz

Greeley-based Indie band In the Whale was formed in 2009 in Greeley, which means they haven’t had a whole lot of time to get to where they are now, and let’s just say they are somewhere on their way to somewhere even bigger. They had a CD release party in September at the Atlas Theatre in Greeley. Their sound is super unique, and on Facebook they note that they draw inspiration from bands such as The Gay Blades, Meat Puppets, Local H, Black Keys, Rage Against the Machine, and the White Stripes. (A side note, speaking of Facebook, is that their single “Facebook Stalking You” is super fun.) In the Whale was really a side project that took off and has self-released two previous EPs, Songs About You and Crush. They have almost a psychedelic undertone at times that I love, and the six tracks here don’t sound like every other indie / alternative / folk rock band’s songs being played on KTCL, etc.

Band members: Nate Valdez (guitar, vocals, mouth harp); Eric Riley (drums, vocals, toy piano)

http://www.myspace.com/songsinthewhale
http://www.sonicbids.com/inthewhale

Artist review: Jon Wirtz -- Sea Level [LP]

Pianist Jon Wirtz with Angie Stevens, right, and Susan Phelan, Angie's bassist.

Jon Wirtz -- Sea Level [LP]

By Jeanie Straub
Colorado Music Buzz

You may know Denver-based Jon Wirtz, forever notable on the Colorado scene since he arrived in May 2003, from his work with local standouts such as Angie Stevens and John Common, but the man has actually performed for millions of people on the national stage, having worked with Grammy-winning producer Malcolm Burn at several junctures and having performed with artists such as Liquid Soul, Shawn Colvin, Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers (he toured the U.S. and Mexico with them), Gin Blossoms, Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, Robbie Krieger, Melissa Etheridge, Matt Morris, Charlie Sexton and “even” (that’s his publicist speaking) Justin Timberlake. That and Wirtz shared the stage with Morris on “The Late Show with David Letterman” and has appeared on CBS Early Morning Show’s “2nd Cup Cafe,” “Ellen” and “Lopez Tonight.” I tell you all this not just because his publicist at the Vinefield Agency took the time to write it up so nicely but because after all that buildup as a sideman, Sea Level is one amazing solo debut with which to follow it all. The LP is a display of Wirtz’s original compositions as well as his interpretations of “a few choice covers.” His publicist notes that over the past few years Wirtz has been hard at work studying under Grammy-nominated pianist/composer Art Lande, and this must have been a very good thing for Wirtz, because his passion and energy and spirit as an artist shine through every track. Every track feels something like perfection or heaven or both. On his myspace page, Wirtz ends his lengthy list of influences, which, btw, runs the gamut from B.B. King to Weezer, that he is also influenced by “anyone willing to take risks for their art, those who are always truly themselves.” That’s telling because his debut CD flawlessly showcases Wirtz coming into his own. His publicist calls Wirtz an “emerging jazz pianist,” and his CD absolutely embodies such a magnificent, defining coming out as a solo artist of note.
Genres: Jazz/Progressive/Nu bop

Recorded and mixed by John Macy at Macy Sound Studios, Denver

http://www.reverbnation.com/jonwirtzmusic

Quote of the day from my favorite music blogger, Bob Lefsetz

"We don't want you to be an icon. We want you to be a beacon. And those are two very different identities. One is two-dimensional, blinding us with its light. The other is positively three-dimensional, illuminating the way ahead, illustrating life in a way we both know and don't. Isn't that the essence of the best songs? We both know them, but don't?" -- Bob Lefsetz

If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1

Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/

http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz

Parker Library's Live Local Music Series ...

These are the bands we've had over the years and the attendance for each. Click on the image to get a bigger size that you can actually read ...

Artist review: Whiskey Blanket

Hip Hop-Shoegaze: Whiskey Blanket -- Credible Forces [LP]
By Jeanie Straub
Colorado Music Buzz

The most expedient way to gain my love and adoration is by producing highly listenable auditory art infused with heavy politics, and that’s exactly what you get with Whiskey Blanket’s Credible Forces, a 2007 Hip-Hop-type release soon to be followed by the Boulder trio’s third full-length release, No Object, due out in early December. (Add a touch of Shoegaze and Powerpop to Hip-Hop to get “Hip-Hop-type.”) Whiskey Blanket, white guys who have been making music together since the summer of 2003, is Steakhouse (producer, emcee, “turntablist”), Funny Biz (emcee, “beatboxist,” cellist), and Sloppy Joe (emcee, violinist). Their website has a secondary “biography” attributed to Rolling Stone magazine: “Their astoundingly mind-blowing creations of aural excellence continue to shape the future of sound while simultaneously redefining the music of the past.” It is supposed to be a joke, but you do get creative excellence in these 16 tracks, especially if you like Rap lyrics -- lyrics atop sumptuous orchestral maneuvers with serious, butt-kicking beat -- that tackle corporate rule, labor, the state of public education, White Jesus and other choice matters that push Hip-Hop squarely past “bitches” and texting into the realm of meaning. Raps Biz: “I’m trying to bring a message to all of my songs. If you don’t hear that then you’re hearing it wrong.” Nah. We hear you correctly. Loud and clear, Brother Biz.

WhiskeyBlanket.com

MySpace.com/WhiskeyBlanket

Twitter.com/WhiskeyBlanket

Artist review: The Longest Day of the Year

The Longest Day of the Year -- The Longest Day of the Year [EP]
By Jeanie Straub
JStraub@ColoradoMusicBuzz.com

The voice of Tom Waits was described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding as if it were “soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car." I’m left wondering: He means that in a good way, right? Because the lead singer of TLDOTY has an amazing voice -- very distinctive in the way that the voice of Tom Waits is: gruff, gravelly, a bit on the raspy side. You either love it immediately or it will grow on you quickly, but one thing for sure is that it is dramatic and strong and different. (Side note: The lead singer has been around the block in the local scene, so you may recognize his stage name of t.Mule.) As far as musical composition goes, TLDOTY appears to be onto something very cool with this EP, and it is very creative and fun and original at the same time that it recalls very traditional roots music. Manager Sean Lamborne explains why it works so well: “With influences drawn from the American roots music tradition, TLDOTY cooks together their vast experience in folk and country, indie-rock, and Canjun/zydeco.” He goes on to say that the band employs “unconventional arrangements on traditional country, roots, folk, and rock song structures to bring you their brand of fiery outlaw Americana.” Whatever it is, the blend put out by TLDOTY is in your veins working its magic with the first track of this five-track CD that covers, lyrically, “strong and strange storytelling”: sitting in the dark with the radio on, wishing you had your own car, when you have no one and nowhere to go; the time you were being hauled to jail and wondered whether you would be able to make bail; drinking bourbon after you burned the farm down. Stuff like that. And fabulous lines like this: “A hanging rope and a telescope / and all the kids are smoking dope.” Your love for TLDOTY will carry you until the last moment of track five.

Band members: t.Mule (guitar/harmonica/vocals/banjo); Brian McCosky (lead guitar/keyboard/vocals); Dan O’Donnell (bass/vocals); and Darin Graber (drums/banjo).

Sounds like: A more Americana version of Tom Waits

www.reverbnation.com/thelongestdayoftheyear

Artist review: Ben Minnotte

Ben Minnotte -- Minn-Knot [LP]

By Jeanie Straub
Colorado Music Buzz

You won’t believe what you are hearing: The music of Denver singer/songwriter Ben Minnotte is absolutely angelic. He’s got the voice of a sexier Lou Reed atop fine guitar work and other instrumentation of the Folk-Rock-meets-experimental variety. His brand of Experimental is reminiscent of Leonard Cohen; it’s got keen insight, the work here is meaningful, downright artful. Minnotte himself plays acoustic and electric guitars, steel guitars, keyboard, the mandolin, banjo, bass, even some drums and other percussion, and he’s an overall brilliant instrumentalist. (Note that Zack Morris plays drums on all but a couple tracks.) Influenced by artists such as Bob Dylan, Pink Floyd, and Kate Bush, Minnotte has a sound that is retro yet very much alive in the present and is both forward thinking and forward moving. It is joy-playful yet steel-solid, muscle-y complex, and August-easy. (Extra credit for sustaining my interest with his lyrics, a copy of which you can get by emailing him – nice to offer that connection to fans.) If you’ve never heard of him, know that he’s actually been a fixture in the Denver music scene for a decade, but spent Sept. 26 to Dec. 18 of last year working on his “studio artist” profile, which is good for you and me because this 14-track album is as good as it gets.

Sounds like: Lou Reed, Leonard Cohen
MySpace.com/BenMinnotteMusic

Next up: Josh Queen at 1pm 10/30

Links for Jeanie and Juliette's CAL presentation on Live Music in Libraries ...

If you attended our presentation, "Rattle and Hum: Starting, Marketing, Delivering and Evaluating Live Music Programs in Public Library Settings," here are some useful links for folks in public libraries wanting to deliver live music programs ...

Write home to let us know how crazy-great it went!

Juliette León Bartsch
bartschj@boulderlibrary.org
Jeanie Straub
jstraub@dclibraries.org

Our PowerPoint presentation ...

http://tinyurl.com/jeanieandjuliettesPPT

Document links(also available on the CAL website):

• BPL new performer packet: http://tinyurl.com/BPLnewperformerpacket

• BPL press info sheet: http://tinyurl.com/BPLpresskitinfosheet

• Parker musician info sheet: http://tinyurl.com/musician-info-sheet

Get the blues for FREE this Saturday!

So you want to be a rock-and-roll star: Sage words from my favorite music blogger ...

Bob Lefsetz had this to say when I was out for a few days:

"[I]f you wanna be a rock and roll star...

"1. Know that people are looking for music. They're inured to listening online and on the go. More people are listening to more music than ever before.

"2. Know that the money is not in music. The money is in tech, on Wall Street. It's not about theft of recordings, it's a change in society. Music doesn't drive it. There's more money in sports. You've got to play because you love it.

"3. It takes longer than ever to truly make it. The old wave insta-stardom the major labels specialize in. Those acts never survived the hype in the eighties and nineties, why should they now? Overexposed, they're thrown on the scrapheap in just a few years.

"4. Practice makes perfect. Just because you can make music, put it up on iTunes and YouTube and ... doesn't mean anybody should listen to it, that anybody should care. Marketing means less than ever before. Hell, if you truly want to make it as a musician, you're better off cutting the Internet cord and practicing and gigging for five years before you put your music online, where people will find it. But traction will be slow. And you might not get rich. Are you willing to sign up for this route?

"5. Don't listen to anybody with a toehold in today's music firmament unless they're in the live business. Everybody else is caught up in the tsunami of change and just wants you to keep the old paradigm going. They're clueless. They're royalty still living in the castle trying to fend off a public that's been maligned and is joyous in tearing down old institutions by ignoring them. Yes, that's how the impact of Top Forty wonders has declined. The public is ignoring them.

"6. If you're a fan, don't believe anything you read in the mainstream media. Trust your friends. If you find something good, continue to tell your friends. Protest high prices. Support your favorite acts. What the old guard doesn't understand is this is instinct, to only buy what you can afford and only promote what you like. They've been living beyond their means selling crap so long the whites of their eyes are brown and they'll say anything to maintain their lifestyles. That's not about music, but money. But now you only get money if you make it about the music."

Fun with The Outfit ...

Artist review: Eric Forsyth

Eric Forsyth -- The Thin of Thick Things [EP]
by Jeanie Straub

At the risk of sounding jaded, I was holding out little hope that any newish singer-songwriter of the indie persuasion would knock me off my chair with anything resembling “new.” Enter Eric Forsyth, a Boulder-based musician’s musician who grew up in California the son of musicians. (And apparently this is his second CD.) While Forsyth truly is “one of those a folksy singer-songwriter guitar dudes,” as my colleague so aptly described folks like Jason Mraz, Forsyth does have something here, something nice -- and definitely solid -- if not completely unique. He took a journey that included a serious stint as a drummer on his way to acoustic guitar, and his ability to think in other instruments comes through: It was way smart to cast David Willis on mandolin, and Forsyth’s composition is flawless throughout this six-song EP. Standouts are “Good Days” and “Jaime Bug,”

Sounds like: Same ballpark as Jason Mraz
http://www.ericforsythmusic.com/

Where you need to be on Aug. 28 if you know what is cool ...

Library’s Local Music Series to kick off fifth year with outdoor performance by The Outfit

Local Music offers Parker Library a platform to show folks that libraries are alive, always fresh and forever relevant -- not tired warehouses for predetermined materials.

The library’s popular Live Local Music Series, which was originally designed to highlight Parker Library’s extensive collection of Local Music CDs, will kick off its fifth year with an outdoor performance by The Outfit at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 28, on the south lawn of the library.

(Bring a picnic blanket to sit on!)

"These shows bring our community together in a really personal way," said Sharon Nemechek, Parker Library branch manager. "They're casual and friendly and open to everyone. People of every age come in to enjoy the music and chat with the artists."

The series, which has played host to almost 40 bands or solo acts, strives to push the genre envelope, offering the gamut from high-end classical to death metal.

A small but effective budget, decent attendance, smart electronic marketing efforts and passion for knowing the local scene have allowed Parker Library to snare up-and-coming local performers that would otherwise be out of reach for a small series, such as John Common, the couple behind coutry smash Jones & Raine and F.O.E., who garnered the 2009 Westword Music Showcase award for best Denver area MC, in addition to Angie Stevens and, now, The Outfit, which was nominated for a Westword Showcase award and has enjoyed play on KTCL’s Locals Only show.

Parker Library’s Live Local Music Series also acts as a vehicle for outreach to the metro Denver music community, which is recognized nationwide for producing acts such as The Fray, Meese, 3OH3! and others. The library has a relationship with Colorado Music Buzz and the Parker Mainstreet Center, among others.

With shows in-house -- and on the lawn -- the library is able to show attendees that a library also is a civic space, one that can be transformed into a venue for a diverse range of uses. And featuring Local Music performances "off-campus" occasionally at spots such as the Mainstreet Center -- or outside on the lawn -- is a great advertisement for the library-without-walls attitude of Douglas County Libraries and an excellent way to showcase the district priority of increased outreach efforts.

Here’s our conversation with The Outfit’s Eric Johnston about the band and its upcoming showing in the library’s Live Local Music Series. In addition to its Westword nod, the band, made up of Johnston, Casey Banker, R.J. Powers, Mike King and Christopher Cain, was slated to play in July in the Denver Post Underground Music Showcase.

Q: Everybody seems to have a different take regarding what genre you all fit into. You were nominated for a Westword Music Showcase award – best Lo-Fi/Garage Rock band. Does that fit? How would you describe your music in terms of genre?

A: Classifying bands is always difficult, especially when it is your own. I think we do fit into the Garage Rock category. We have always been very spontaneous and we never try to use too much polish. I guess these qualities make people reach for that category when defining our sound.

Q: Tell me about the experience of being honored with a Westword Music Showcase nomination. That’s a pretty big deal.

A: It was really amazing to be nominated along side so many other amazing Denver bands. If you ever see that The Omens are going to play the Lion’s Lair, GO. It was one of the best shows I have ever been to.

Q: You all got radio play this spring on the Locals Only show on KTCL 93.3. Tell me about that experience.

A: Chris [Cain] did a lot of the footwork for that. We knew we were going to be on, and we tried to inform as many people as we could. I think it is important for big stations like that to play and support the scene that is constantly developing around them.

Q: What did you think when you were first asked to play in Parker Library’s Live Local Music Series? Did you think music in the library was crazy or cool? Doesn’t music and libraries just border on naughty?

A: It’s a great opportunity for us. We’re excited about playing such a different venue. Parker Library seems to be working really hard in terms of providing its patrons with a steady flow of many different genres of music.

Q: You were planning to release a new CD this summer. How did that go?

A: Actually we haven’t released our full-length CD yet. We are still chipping away, trying to get everything just the way we want it. The process of making the album has been long and arduous, but I think it will be well worth it in the end.

Q: What’s next for the band?

A: We want to release this album and keep making the music we love.

Choose The Outfit

Check out The Outfit at http://www.myspace.com/choosetheoutfit and then come out to see them perform in Parker Library’s Live Local Music Series at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 28, on the south lawn of the library. Follow Parker Library’s Live Local Music Series on Twitter at www.twitter.com/colorado_music.

Get ready for The Outfit ...

We're kicking off year five (!) of Parker Library's Live Local Music Series with an outdoor show featuring The Outfit -- a band recently nominated for best Lo-Fi/Garage Rock band in the Westword Music Showcase! Their song, "What Happened to You," has been played on the Locals Only show on KTCL 93.3.

Here are a couple reviews of their album ...

The Outfit
Self-released
By Tom Murphy
Westword
Thursday, Nov. 26, 2009

From the opening drum clicks, this debut release from the Outfit hooks you into the headlong pace of "Towns," a song with familiar elements. But rather than trying to mimic the manic and loud-quiet guitar work of recent dance-punk bands, the Outfit presents moments of nuanced introspection that lend a surprising degree of depth. And the quality of the songwriting here is no fluke; the layering of sounds on "The Philistines" is dynamic, allowing the song to breathe and sway. "Bricks," meanwhile, is a bit more biting, but the sheer variety in its roughly three minutes is impressive. Saving the best for last, "What Happened to You" somehow manages to be melancholy, urgent and defiant, couching its emotional fragility in uplifting melodies and invigorating rhythms.

Rock: The Outfit -- The Outfit [EP]
By Jeanie Straub
Colorado Music Buzz
Monday, Feb. 1, 2010

DIG this CD. This band rocks, and this little EP really showcases Rock as a genre. Sub-genres aside, The Outfit is above all a Rock outfit, and there is kick-ass Rock musicianship going on here. You’ll just want to jam out for days. (I think I have listened to this four-song CD more than 10 times in just a couple days.) The skinny on the crew: Colorado natives lead by the solid vocals of Eric Johnston. And because The Outfit seems to be taking Rock itself to new levels here with the guys’ conspicuous energy and overt passion, I’m convinced they will get some attention. They seem destined for greatness if the masses have any taste left, and, as we have seen, they do at times. The guitar work is amazing -- so is the drummer. The instrumentation throughout is raw but complex and even smooth in all its roughness. As a great guy from Vices I Admire once said, a band can’t go anywhere without a talented singer. A great singer Johnston is, so they’ve got that going on, too. You’ll enjoy this CD if you love Rock with a little post-Punk flavoring. As mother always said: Good things do come in small packages. This EP is ultra-effective that way. It leaves you wanting more.

PS: The Outfit CD cover art scores big points for being very well done. Check out the cool collage for yourself at TinyURL.com/OutfitCDCover.

MySpace.com/ChooseTheOutfit

What they have to say about themselves on myspace ...

About THE OUTFIT

"Hailing from Denver, Colorado, The Outfit consists of five Coloradans with a raw and energetic sound. Their primary concern is to make music that people can connect to and possibly, move to. In April of 2009 they recorded their first EP with Brian Feuchtinger at Uneven Studios in Denver. In August 2009 before releasing their EP, The Outfit traveled out to Los Angeles to record an album with Ryan Boesch. Their full-length album will be released in the summer of 2010. The Outfit continues to play the songs they love hoping to impart the wild joy they take in their music.

And one more review ...

"The Outfit is a big, hearty sound. It swirls and churns with the watery metallic of a motor’s hum. They teeter on the edge of throwing a rod and kicking the whole machine into chaos -- but somehow, impossibly, they always throttle with a throaty obligatto -- sometimes killing the engine altogether for a desperate breath, then violently firing the pistons into eloquent motion again before diving deeper into the emotional life of fire." -- Jonathan Bitz, Denver Syntax Autumn '09

Read more: http://www.myspace.com/choosetheoutfit#ixzz0t7jUMsG4

Artist review: Brighton Boulevard

Brighton Boulevard -- Starting Over [EP]
By Jeanie Straub for Colorado Music Buzz

Rachel James is a musical force to be reckoned with, and this three-song EP is a quality introduction to her amazing voice and abundant talent as a songwriter. (Do check her live. Even solo: Just wow.) James, front-woman of Brighton Boulevard, is extraordinary on her own. Add, courtesy of Craigslist, a few well-rounded musicians -- Darius Pope (bass, vocals), Kevin Jochem (drums), Dustin Lehr (lead guitar) and Hosung Son (guitar) -- to flesh out what is very much the Rachel James sound. What have you got? It is still her sensitivity to what makes a good pop song, her songwriting capability and her vocals -- vocals on par with Christina Aguilera and Ms. Mariah. At the same time Brighton Boulevard the band definitely holds its own in backing up the powerhouse. Whether it is Rachel James or Rachel James as Brighton Boulevard lead, if you love a fabulous female voice singing a well orchestrated pop single destined for radio play, Starting Over is one three-song EP you should not miss.

http://www.myspace.com/brightonboulevard
http://www.myspace.com/racheljamesmusic
http://twitter.com/IAmRachelJames

Kinetix interview

If you haven’t heard rock and pop band Kinetix yet, fear not. We think you’ll be hearing a lot of them very soon. They’ve journeyed, figuratively and literally, far since their early days, which started as Lamont School of Music students playing for passersby on the University of Denver campus during passing periods. They went on to win a battle of the bands in 2006 at the 10,000 Lakes Festival in Minnesota, and since have been on a whirlwind tour of more than 40 cities in 20 states, including a recent stint opening 23 dates for the Flobots, which, in part, led to Flobots guitarist Andy Guerrero producing their third album, Let Me In. Get to know the band -- Adam Lufkin (rhythm guitar, vocals), Eric Blumenfeld (keyboards, vocals), Jack Gargan (drums), Jordan Linit (lead guitar), and Josh Fairman (bass) -- as they answer our questions about their early days at DU, the joys of touring, rock in a weak economy, the joys of touring, the joys of touring, and the new album from where else but on “a van ride to a gig.”

Jeanie Straub: You all got your start as a band playing outside on the University of Denver campus during passing periods. Tell me a little more about that. Do you miss those days? Were you all at the Lamont School of Music?

Eric Blumenfeld (keyboards, vocals) and Kinetix: Yeah, we were all students at the school but we actually met at a local bar called The Border. We miss those days because we had no experience so everything that we did was awesome! We would promote shows by running around the dorms putting fliers under every door, or jamming in the hallways during passing periods. We actually got started by begging for permission to perform on the campus quad during random benefits, but eventually we started to attract larger crowds than the actual benefits and we got unofficially banned from playing on campus. We took the party to the Denver theaters. … In reference to the Lamont influence, we can’t say enough about the program. The whole system is set up to stimulate creativity. The kids are there to learn, and the professors are incredibly talented. We all gained a deeper appreciation for so many styles of music, and in a very real way it helped us form our brand of rock and roll.

Straub: Does your music fit neatly into a genre?

Jordan Linit (lead guitar) and Kinetix: Yes. It is rock and pop, but it wasn’t always that way. On our previous albums it was hard to place all the songs under any one genre. … Over the years and tours since our last album we’ve matured from a group of five individuals into a band. It’s funny, but when you have something in your life that is etched in stone like a record, it’s probably somewhat a part of human nature to look back on it and wish that you knew then what you know now. That’s why [our third album] Let Me In is so close to all of our hearts; we really feel like this album is Kinetix in the present tense.

Straub: You all won a Battle of the Bands competition in 2006 at the 10,000 Lakes Festival in Minnesota, also known as 10KLF. You said the promoters loved you, and you’ve been invited back every year since. Sadly, just like Monolith, 10KLF ran into financial problems and is on indefinite hiatus – it sounded like a great gig. How else does a down economy affect an up-and-coming band like Kinetix? You all have been asked to perform at the 2010 festivals Summer Camp, Wakarusa, Forecastle, Bella Vida, Big Up, Great Lakes, and more, but the whole economic gloom and doom -- it must suck to have all that in the background, even when things are going so well.

Josh Fairman (bass) and Kinetix: Wait, rock and roll used to be easy? Get out of here. Where’s the free money? Really, it is what it is. Obviously, the economy is having a huge effect on the industry and when you factor in the ‘free music’ digital era it puts a tremendous strain on a band in the traditional sense. Certainly, it hurts us in the short term. … That said, we’re not scared. It comes down to an inner faith in the bigger picture.

Straub: The Minnesota festival led to your ability to tour, and you’ve since put together a touring route that includes 40 cities in 20 states. Tell me about what you love about touring and what you don’t love so much.

Jack Gargan (drums) and Kinetix: Three weeks ago we were pulling an all-night drive from Denver to Wisconsin for our first gig of the Spring tour in Wisconsin. At 1 a.m., the trailer wheel hub cap gets loose and the grease leaks out. At 60 mph the spindle melts immediately and a second later the trailer catches on fire. Literally lucky for our lives, we catch it in the rear view mirror and pull over. There was a nervous eight-hour wait for the service truck to come, and after slapping together a plan to rent a U-Haul for a week we arrive at the gig 20 minutes after doors. The crowd goes nuts when we walk in and we plug in, turn up and rock a wild, frenzied sold-out show for three hours. Tour is about enjoying the opportunity to chase something special.

Straub: In 2009, Kinetix toured with the Flobots, playing 23 dates nationwide. What are your best memories of that time? What was something really important that you learned from the Flobots? Do you keep in touch?

Fairman and Kinetix: We had arguably the best time of our professional lives on that tour. The Flobots are an unbelievable group. They became our friends, mentors and role models. Kinetix grew so much during those two months. The Flobots are uniquely talented. They control the stage so well and bring heat every single night, and they elevated our game accordingly. … They were so supportive, front and center on the dance floor for our sets almost every night, and that’s right before their own shows. That’s just absurd. We keep in close touch to this day and in fact, we got along so well with Flobots guitarist Andy Guerrero that he ended up producing Let Me In. We’re still shocked by how this has all played out.

Straub: Let Me In, your third album, is set for a May 11 release. Your manager, Daniel Kellner, said the concept behind the album was an existential, in-the-moment reflection on being a band. Can you elaborate on that?

Adam Lufkin (rhythm guitar, vocals) and Kinetix: Let Me In reflects where we are both musically and from a maturity standpoint. … We’re at a juncture where we feel like we’ve found our sound, and these are the stories about how we got here. Sure, we’re in this to be successful and make careers out of it, which seems to fall on the same plane as any attempt to create harmony in life or love, but I guess it just never hurts to look in a mirror and remember that it feels good to accept yourself for who you are.

Straub: I hate how some bands don’t seem to engage fans, and you mentioned something about your interaction with fans that I found very refreshing. Tell me about that.

Linit and Kinetix: We wouldn’t be doing this without our fans. … I could list off the email blast, Facebook, website, etc. as a strategy but it’s actually way more simple: When we see a fan out on the road that’s been coming to our shows for four years, that’s a run-and-hug situation.

CD review: Joel Decatur -- Seeking the House-Builder [LP]

Damn I really LOVE this CD. Other than that, Joel Decatur is hard to describe. For starters I’d say this album feels like it is one up from Pearl Jam. (And I do love my Pearl Jam.) Just really inspired, well developed tracks delivered by smooth, professional players -- musicians who, like Decatur, have got the technical side of instrumentation down and who sound great together, like they all share the same organs or robbed stores together as children. I wouldn’t call it folk-rock or Americana, it is more like just plain rock-rock, but that’s what Joel Decatur calls it, noting that he got his start playing progressive metal. “Essentially I cut my guitar playing teeth with a heavier approach,” Joel explains on his website. “Although, innately I was firmly planted in the blues structure.” One thing you’ll surely appreciate is Decatur’s rich vocals on top of the consistently moving orchestration and lyrical brilliance, and it turns out that he worked on those very vocals after an audition to be the lead for Blind Melon. (Note that Brad Smith from Blind Melon makes an appearance on bass on the song “Trust.”) “One thing this did for me was to put my vocals in the spotlight, something I had never done before,” Decatur writes of getting so close to making Blind Melon happen. “So to get such praise from a band I have huge respect for was the push I needed to forge a new path. I started to concentrate on writing acoustic songs, taking vocal lessons and really finding my place.” You’ll be glad he did that, and you’ll be extra pleased that we told you about this fine album.

http://www.joeldecatur.com/
http://www.myspace.com/joelwdecatur
http://twitter.com/joeldecatur

CD review: EOhippus -- Get On [LP]

Get On, the second CD from EOhippus, presents 11 original instrumental compositions that showcase complex rhythms in a cool, straight-forward style, one that is both unpretentious and fresh and up. Fusion lovers are going to dig this CD, especially those partial to up-beat, up-tempo instrumental work. Those not so enamored with jazz-related genres will find the album to sound like especially inspired elevator music, but even they may not want to get off the elevator at their stop once they realize these guys -- Bill Kerr (guitar), Jim Robischon (keyboard), Bruce Crisman (percussion), and George Brangoccio (bass) – are veteran professionals who deliver the goods, unifying influences such as Caribbean and Latin Jazz, Swing Jazz, R&B and Funk. Check out EOhippus live at 7 p.m. on Saturday, July 31, at Woody's Wood Fired Tavern, 7095 E. Evans Ave., Denver. Telephone: (303) 757-4200.

http://eohippus.squarespace.com/

CD review: King for a Day -- The Light is on and Shining Brightly for the Masses [LP]

King for a Day was formed in April 2004 to “play an original brand of acoustic Brit-pop with a hint of folk/rock and freak-beat thrown in for good measure,” according to the band’s myspace page. What you’ll be thinking when you hear this CD: Just wow. Another amazing band Colorado has generated. Just wow. King for a Day is high-energy, focused pop that gives a nod to earlier eras -- think Oasis meets the Monkeys -- without feeling like they are wannabes. Nice use of samples give them an artsy, flippant feel even though this is serious music produced by serious talent that has made the rounds in this town. Further evidence: The band is up for a Westword Music Showcase award under the Indie Pop category, and there will be no surprises when they take that. They are fully actualized. Good stuff!

http://www.myspace.com/kfadmusic

CD review: The Jealous Kind [EP]

Here’s the skinny on The Jealous Kind, a solid four-song Indie / Pop / Folk-Rock EP that was released in April under the auspices of Nashville producer Stephen Leiweke. When I first popped in this CD, my initial thought was: It is a good month for local music, because this was the second CD of six and both were more than good -- they were almost great. These guys are like a 2010 version of Pearl Jam et al. (And they own the ’90s-meets-tomorrow sound. As they say on their myspace page: “The duo makes a bow to ’90s-era bands on which their friendship was founded, with a sound … [that is] familiar, but at the same time, new.”) Thankfully, they do have a sound of their own and it is one that can be counted as up-to-the-minute enough, and on top of all that they fall, as I said, squarely in the good-to-great category of musicians. But that, ladies and gentlemen, is exactly the problem with this CD, if there were going to be a problem here. There are just so many bands in the good-to-great class these days that you sincerely have to hit me -- and everyone else -- over the head with something else, something just out of this world, to really make a difference and get me on the horn telling my friends, neighbors, colleagues, Twitter acquaintances and others to check you out, get your CD, see you live. This is their debut EP, so that may come down the road effortlessly enough. The guys behind The Jealous Kind, Josh Queen of Colorado and Dave Wright of Tennessee, again according to myspace, “crossed musical paths in 2002 when touring the Southeast with their own respective projects. They became fast friends over shared musical loves and vowed to one day work together.” Fast-forward to 2009, when they were exchanging lyrics, audio and video via email. “They quickly realized they had something special happening and soon teamed up with acclaimed Nashville producer Stephen Leiweke … to bring some of these songs to life,” according to their page. The result is definitely more than worth a listen, and some folks are going to love them and others, myself included, are going to find them squarely in the good-to-great grouping and move on in search of something more squarely in the bone-chilling mix. No doubt there is a pretty good chance that one or more DJs out there will note the good-to-great quality going on here, and the EP could very well make airwaves. And, you guessed it, that’s exactly why everything on the radio sounds like one big good-to-great track. That’s why so much of it sounds the same.

Sounds like: Pearl Jam in 2010; The Jealous Kind duo themselves say their sound is “reminiscent of Toad the Wet Sprocket and Counting Crows”

http://www.thejealouskind.com
http://twitter.com/thejealouskind
http://www.myspace.com/thejealouskind

CD review: Planning Space [LP]

Strap yourselves in, people: Planning Space’s self-titled LP is the standout Alt-Rock / Indie album for which you’ve been waiting. I don’t know whether to describe the band’s sound as Post Punk-leaning Hard Rock-inspired Alt-Rock or Metal-inspired Post Punk-leaning Alt-Rock, but however you put it, this works. Damn well. The band is incredibly tight, the lyrics are crazy fabulous, the singer – to die for (especially if you are a sucker for just the teeniest hint of Brit Pop). You’ve got seven clean and crisp and very, very inspired tracks. And I’m not kidding about those lyrics. The band -- Cal Pflepsen, Cameron Nicks, Dannon Nicks, and Danny Burton -- list their influences as The Offspring, Tickle Me Pink, Weezer, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Greenday, Muse, Chevelle, Red, Sum 41, Metallica, Linkin Park, Rammstein and Hans Zimmer. They know their way around their instruments like they were playing in the womb -- in fact Dannon Nicks is said to have picked up his first guitar at the ripe age of four -- and they aren’t afraid to take chances. They are downright brilliant. Check them out live at 8 p.m. on Thursday, June 3, at the Toad Tavern.

Sounds like: Rammstein meets Brit Pop

http://www.myspace.com/planningspace

CD review: Headhum -- Manican [LP]

This is a crazy-great month for local music, and far, far out in front of the pack is Headhum’s ground-breaking Manican, the seven-song LP slash love child of Andy Tanner, previously the singer-songwriter for the band Laymen Terms, which, over seven years, turned out four albums on Suburban Home Records. Had I known their sound -- or about Andy Tanner’s gift -- before this month, I would have been a huge fan and I would have been blabbing on before now. But, alas, I’m just now finding out. The sound here is like someone of immense musical talent who has the confidence -- and the experience -- to really branch out and deconstruct music to find and build something entirely, entirely new -- new for the Grunge genre and new for Rock and new for just music. We say music or a band sounds “new” or “fresh” or what have you all the damn time. That’s until you hear something like this LP and realize you wasted “new” and “fresh” and have no words left to describe the very newness and freshness you’ve just had the privilege of experiencing. Innovative? That’s just for starters. Joined with the enormous talents of drummer Jonathan Johnson and bassist Noah Harpman, Tanner’s brilliance as a singer-songwriter who plays baritone and electric guitars and keyboards and incorporates sound samples is full actualized on clean, crisp tracks. With influences such as diverse as The Replacements and Nirvana, buckle up for the totally uncharted but for that which also boasts a structural purity – matched equally by intensity -- and lyrics that are on fire, amazing, on and on. This CD is crazy-impressive, brilliant and then some. I’m writing home.

http://www.destinationmoonmusic.com/headhum.html
http://www.myspace.com/headhum
http://www.myspace.com/andytanner