New Local Music we just got back from cataloging

This just in ...

Epic Stand -- self-titled
The Big Motif -- self-titled
Cortometraje -- Panal S.A. de C.V.
Dreaming Machines -- Speed of Flying Creatures
Vices I Admire -- The Politics of Apathy
Halden Wofford and the Hi Beams -- Sinners & Saints
Sons and Brothers -- Standing on a Rock
The Inactivists -- Love Songs and Other Songs About Love
Thr33squared -- Object
DB and the Catastrophe -- Don't Look Back
Union Remains -- self-titled
Dreamscape -- self-titled
Jon Wirtz -- Sea Level
Vitamins -- Songs for Stem Cells
Mike Holweger -- Shadows Matter
The Side Project -- Where Two Roads Meet
Free Radt -- self-titled
David Rynhart -- By the Hollow Tree

Jon Wirtz & The Debut

From the Jon Wirtz camp:

I have a big show (big for me anyhow) coming with my group Jon Wirtz & The Debut at Dazzle on Thursday, July 21. 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.

We'll be having some special guests (Heather Larrabee on vocals, Gabe Mervine on trumpet -- both amazing musicians) and a lot of new music to showcase.

The band has been rehearsing / gigging weekly for the past 5-6 months, so we're excited to play this room again.

Jon Wirtz
www.jonwirtzmusic.com

Best 2011 Telluride Bluegrass Festival photos

Check out this link for the best 2011 Telluride Bluegrass Festival photos, courtesy of @TellurideDotCom.

For all the information you need on Telluride festivals, check out TellurideFests on Twitter.

Below is Mumford and Sons at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival.

Who did you most love at Westword Music Showcase this weekend?

What bands did you see and who really took the cake at Saturday's Westword Music Showcase?

Please let me know in the comments and I'll compile the results. For more great pictures and write-ups, please see 2011 Westword Music Showcase: Backbeat scribes' travelogues http://bit.ly/lkcFWF

(Photo of Spoke In Wordz @ Westword Music Showcase by Stephen Cummings, courtesy Westword.)

Artist review: Selko -- "Ultramundane"

Selko -- Ultramundane
By Michael Davis

Help. I’ve gotten sucked into the vortex of Selko’s Ultramundane recording. It won’t let go, and I just can’t set it down. This is theme music, the soundtrack of a complex life moving fluidly through a maze from trouble to beauty and back.

From the very first cut, "Intro," is reminiscent of the feel of an Isaac Hayes attitude in "Theme from Shaft," or Curtis Mayfield’s "Superfly," which are arguably amongst the origins of electronic hip-hop. From there Selko explores wide dimensions that have also been touched by Ry Cooder (of the film "Paris, Texas" fame), Hooverphonics (A New Stereophonics Sound Spectacular), and even John Barry's "James Bond" sound.

Selko is a class act. When I imagine some person in the basement making up this stuff, at odd hours of night, on a home computer, I think "This guy may want to give up his day job and pursue a career in Hollywood." It’s that good.

New 3OH!3 song!

3OH!3 will be releasing a new song in 2 weeks! "Robot" will be available at iTunes on June 28. "Robot" sneak peaks and videos will be available on their website at http://www.3oh3music.com/. Follow them on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/3Oh3.

Other news: 3OH!3 will be starting the Vans Warped Tour on June 24! Check out all the Warped Tour dates 3OH!3 will be playing on their website at http://www.3oh3music.com/.

Telluride Bluegrass Festival

The 38th Annual Telluride Bluegrass Festival -- June 16-19, 2011 -- is now completely sold-out!

More Angie Stevens ...

From the Angie Stevens camp:

Hello everyone and Happy Summer!

Haley E. Rydell (from the Johnson Family Band) and I have been in a whirlwind of practice, photo shoots and shows all for the release of the I'm With Her EP. We have our official release at Swallow Hill this Friday and really hope you can make it! (Tickets are cheaper in advance, so get yours today!) We'll have new merch available as well as special guests Monica Sales, Susan Phelan and Robin Hoch sitting in on stage with us. I'm not sure how many more shows we'll be doing after this -- unless we convince Haley to move to Denver;) so make sure you catch it while you can.

In case you are wondering what I'm With Her is or what it will sound like -- it was a place to bring our songs that we hadn't played much with our bands or wanted to try a different approach to by using harmonies and strings. You will hear a lot from the AS/HR catalog tweaked with a montage of strings/harmonies - some slow and some rockin!! I think you will really love it as much as I do so hope you can make it out ;)

See you soon;)

I'M WITH HER SHOWS

Tue Jun 14 2011 -- Mary's Lake Lodge
7pm Estes Park, CO

Wed Jun 15 2011 -- Low Spirits
9pm Albuquerque, NM

Fri Jun 17 2011 -- Swallow Hill Daniels Hall
8pm Denver, CO

Tickets: http://events.swallowhill.com/eventperformances.asp?evt=1263&c=39&pg=

Sat Jun 18 2011 -- Avogrado's Number
8:30pm Fort Collins, CO

Wed Jun 29 2011 -- The Aquarium
9pm Fargo, ND

http://www.imwithhermusic.com
http://www.facebook.com/BossKoalaRecords

Flobots stuff with Colorado Music Buzz

From Colorado Music Buzz:

Join us Monday, June 13, at The Ginn Mill on Making a Difference Monday for LIVE at 5 with JONNY 5 of the FLOBOTS! One hundred percent of the night's bar proceeds from the event go to benefit Flobots.org and their programs.

Click here to find out more about or RSVP to LIVE at 5 with JONNY 5.

Colorado Music Buzz is a proud sponsor of Flobots.org! We look forward to helping them expand their reach in 2011 and beyond.

As you know the power of music is universal and can transcend any barrier. e were so moved by Flobots.org, their accomplishments, and community mission that we decided to help.

Go to Flobots.org to find out more about their programs Fight With Tools, Youth on Record, Art 2 Action and their 5 Points Community space available to rent out for any event.

Support Flobots.org in their Annual Fundraising Campaign!

They have 11 days left. $10 Makes A Difference! Music Makes a Difference!

Click Here to Donate Today!

FOLLOW COLORADO MUSIC BUZZ ON ...

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Quote of the Day from Bob Lefsetz

This guy almost always NAILS IT:

"Mainstream media just can't fathom this. That the mainstream is dead. That we've all scattered off into our own little niches. Fox keeps touting how many people watched the "American Idol" finale, but I can't even remember the winner's name.

"It wasn't about the winner. It wasn't about music.

"And the hipsters can't fathom this either. For decades the sport of insiders has been to put down the taste of the outsiders, the unhip. There's been a sieve through which music had to pass, to the point where we had an anointed few. For a couple of decades it was those tracks that made it on to the MTV playlist. They were the winners, everybody else was a loser. Now there is no major league. There are no winners. Just a bunch of sideshows. ...

"It's a brand new era.

"The old one is done.

"Set yourself on fire. Everybody will know who you are for a day.

"But you won't have fans.

"And now it's all about fans. And a fan base takes time to build, it must be nurtured, you must give back, you must treat your fans right, from delivering more music to fair ticket prices to access to.

"It's easier than ever to get started.

"But more difficult than ever to succeed.

"But don't let that discourage you.

"Human nature is to look for something new.

"We're always kicking the tires. We're listening to the recommendations of like-minded friends. If you gain a fan base, you've got a chance some of those fans will grow your audience. But your audience won't go instantly nuclear based on ANY mainstream exposure.

"Those days are history."

-- Bob Lefsetz

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

From Jerry Barlow (Celtic Fingerstyle Guitar)

Greetings!

I believe “retooling” is the term used for the adventure that has been mine these last several months. And I am excited to share the results with you!

The first accomplishment is a new website! For which I am deeply appreciative of the artistic sensibilities, persistence, and incredible technical savvy, of my developer and great friend, Todd Evenson. Todd was able to capture a warm intuitive ambiance for the site, which is in keeping with the music I love to play. Please visit www.jerrybarlow.com/Bookings and let us know what you think! (Todd can be reached attoddevenson@comcast.net)

My second accomplishment is learning the basics of sound engineering. To say this has been a steep learning curve is an understatement! However, each session has taught me something new and my skills are improving with every edit. I am hopeful that my new, self-engineered CD, entitled Fields and Fences, will be ready sometime this fall.

Along with a few timeless traditional pieces, Fields and Fences will feature my own Celtic-inspired melodies, the titles of which reflect the deep affection I have developed for the people and places I’ve encountered while touring the Midwest and beyond. And touring -- presenting the music, history and legend to warm appreciative audiences in libraries, small theatres, churches, community rooms and museums -- makes all the rest of this worthwhile.

I am planning on staying close to home this summer so I can complete Fields and Fences and get ready for another season of concerts this fall (see tour schedule on website). Hopefully I will see you at one of those performances!

Best Wishes,

Jerry Barlow

News from Angie Stevens ...

From Angie Steven's camp:

Hey Everyone!

It's been a busy 2011 so far with an even busier summer on the horizon and we couldn't be happier with the way things have come together!!
A few exciting shows to tell you about in the near future as well as a
new EP and side project that will make it's first appearance in June!
"I'm With Her" is in the process of mastering an EP to be released on
June 17th at Swallow Hill!!! For more info please check out

http://www.imwithhermusic.com OR
http://www.facebook.com/BossKoalaRecords.

Don't worry -- we'll send out a reminder in the early part of June to
remind you of the "I'm With Her" tour dates but in the meantime hope
you enjoy the Colorado beauty and REALLY hope to see you at these
shows!!!

UPCOMING SHOWS

Sat May 28 2011 -- Denver Day of Rock (ASBW)
3:30pm Denver, CO

Sat Jun 4 2011 -- Grant Family Farm (ASBW)
4:30pm Wellington, CO

Thu Jun 9 2011 -- The Staging Grounds (I'm With Her)
7pm Rapid City, SD

Tue Jun 14 2011 -- Mary's Lake Lodge (I'm With Her)
6pm Estes Park, CO

Wed Jun 15 2011 -- Low Spirits (I'm With Her)
8pm Albuquerque, NM

Fri Jun 17 2011 -- Swallow Hill Daniels Hall (I'm With Her)
8pm Denver, CO

Sat Jun 18 2011 -- Avogrado's Number (I'm With Her)
8pm Fort Collins, CO

Sun Jun 26 2011 -- Team 25 Charity Event (ASBW)
8pm Rochester, MN

Wed Jun 29 2011 -- The Aquarium (I'm With Her)
9pm Fargo, ND

Thu Jun 30 2011 -- Foote Lagoon Concert Series (ASBW)
7pm Loveland, CO

P.S. ASBW PROUDLY supports these side projects as well! Demon Funkies, Dirty Backstreet Lovers and Vibes on Velvet. Please support these incredible projects whenever you get a chance!

P.P.S. One last thing -- Angie and Susan are BOTH teaching lessons this summer, so if you ever wanted to learn, NOW IS YOUR CHANCE. Get an appointment before they are gone ;) Drop a note at info@angiestevens.com and we'll be in touch!

This just in from Andrea Ball ...

Imma HUGE fan:

Hey Everybody!

Happy Tuesday to you, the thunderstorms are accompanying me as a I write you this note, Whoa!!! and Lightening! This is exciting!

I have a show coming up Saturday and wanted to let you in on the details! It's at the (Walnut Room3131 Walnut Street, Denver) doors open at 8pm! is headlining the show so make sure to check them out! You can find more information or invite your friends on Carbon ChoirFacebook if you click HERE.

I don't have too many updates for you all but I can say if you never saw this Vimeo video then take a PEEK! Or you can check my blog for a new update later today!

Lastly, I'm glad none of you were raptured the other day, so this way all of you can attend Saturday night! HA! I'm truly amazed at how many times the world was suppose to end in the short amount of time I've been alive. ha ha ha.

XOXO,

Andrea l. Ball

BLKHRTS reviews pouring in ...

Read another good review of their latest track “SX, DRGS, VLNC, MN, DTH” at http://passionweiss.com/2011/05/12/blkhrts-rp-sx-drgs-vlnc-mn-dth/

I just wrote our review for Colorado Music Buzz. Check it out in the next issue.

King F.O.E. of the BLKHRTS -- that's what F.O.E. goes by now, and I think he just does FOE instead of F.O.E. -- explained the who, what, where behind the single in an email response to my questions:

"Basically this us our first installment of our monthly releases of singles until the album TH BLK EXPRNC next year. Also during this time all of the members of the BLKHRTS will release a solo EP of six songs, the first to be Yonnas' The Sex Tape, which we will release a song a week for eight weeks leading up to the full release of the album, the next month following Junkie by me and a violence-themed EP by Karma. We are looking to drop a lot of really dope music this year just to get everyone ready for the full BLKHRTS album."

OK so not everyone loves The Motet

I gave the new CD by The Motet to a supervisor here at work when she asked what I recommended about the new stuff that we just got back from our ace Local Music cataloger, Erica Olivier. She is not in love with The Motet so I asked her to say why so I could post it here. Just goes to show that we don't all universally love the same music. I still LOVE The Motet but thought her opinion was valuable, too:

"As I said, I really didn’t care for this CD. It’s really not my style. It had a 70s-ish, KC & the Sunshine Band sound to it. Also, I wish there would have been some vocals. ... I kind of feel bad saying it." -- Peggy Norris

Thanks, Peggy.

Personal favorite, The Motet ...

UPCOMING DANCE-YOUR-ASS-OFF DATES WITH THE MOTET:

5/14 LLAMAPALOOZA: COLORADO SPRINGS, CO
5/27 DESERT ROCKS: MOAB, UT
5/28 FLAGSTAFF BREWING COMPANY: FLAGSTAFF, AZ
5/29 COMPOUND GRILL: PHOENIX, AZ
6/18 MISHAWAKA: BELLVUE, CO
6/24 GOTHIC THEATER (playing the music of Talking Heads): DENVER, CO
7/08 THREE20SOUTH: BRECKENRIDGE, CO
7/09 OLD SOUTH PEARL JAM FEST: DENVER, CO
7/29 COLLEGIATE PEAKS FEST: BUENA VISTA, CO
8/20 MOUNTAIN STOMP: CORVALLIS, OR
8/26 NEDFEST: NEDERLAND, CO

DOWNLOAD THE LATEST ALBUM BY THE MOTET -- "DIG DEEP" -- RIGHT HERE:
http://www.themotet.com/digdeep/motet-dig.deep.zip

THEN LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK OF THE ALBUM IN THE COMMENTS SECTION BELOW.

SX, DRGS, VLNC, MNY, DTH

BLKHRTS have a new track out called "SX, DRGS, VLNC, MNY, DTH." The photo above is the artwork for the track, which you can check out on their website, http://blkhrts.tumblr.com/. Thanks to @KingFOE for always turning me on to new stuff.

LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK OF IT IN THE COMMENTS SECTION BELOW THIS POST, PLEASE.

Music for Meditation

Kailin Yong is a regular at the Boulder Public Library but this month he visited Douglas County Libraries and facilitated a morning musical meditation at 10 a.m. Wednesday, May 11, at Parker Library.

Artist review: Dinner With Cannibals

Dinner With Cannibals -- Sweetlord [LP]
By Michael Davis

Haunting, sweet, serious musical themes that are engineered with precision break loose into uninhibited atom splitting energy on the Sweetlord album. The Dinner with Cannibals sound amazes me in the same ways that seeing a survivor emerge from a fiery, metal-crushing auto disaster.

Tracks of particular interest are “Eventually You’ll Blink,” where the song opens with an Emerson, Lake and Palmer-like beauty and mystery and then detonates into a blast of metallic experimentation.

But listen closely. It’s not pure chaos.

Track 7, “Let’s Play Football!” is a syncopated tragedy -- in a good way.

The closing track, “Keepsakes of Addition,” has brilliance written all over it. Opening up with a Euro Café sort of feel, this premise continues to lie dormant beneath the entirety of the remaining turmoil.

Throughout the entire album the lyrics, like any good poetry, do not attempt to explain, but instead only paint the images.

I have to stop listening to this recording. I am frightened I might begin to comprehend the intellect behind this sound.

Check out this week's Steal This Track by Eryc Eyl for a sample from Dinner With Cannibals.

News from the kick-ass band 28-200

Of all the bands I've reviewed for Colorado Music Buzz, 28-200 is one band that really stood out for me. Back in back in March 2010 I said:

"28-200 is a fabulously hip, Alt-Indie garage band outta Denver that has put out a simply smashing CD: 10 all-flashy tracks in the vein of Souxsie-and-the-Banshees-meets-garage-band or a gloriously futuristic PJ Harvey; a nineties band called Glee Club; even a little Luscious Jackson when it comes to the vocals -- tracks that are rough and rare in all the right places."

So I've made it a point to follow them on Twitter and keep up with their doings. Here are a couple cool pics I asked them to send plus a little update on what is going on -- from their mouth to yours:

28-200 is currently working on their sophomore album, which is scheduled for release in the fall of 2011. Two songs from the upcoming album, "Ride" and "Gunfire of Angels," have made sneak peeks on MySpace, Facebook and ReverbNation.

"The majority of the songs on the first album were written from a two-piece perspective. We were very conscious to be sure that the songs could be played live by just the two of us. This time around we’re not limiting ourselves. All of the new tunes have two guitars and bass. Some even have synth, cello, or other noises that please us. We’re recording the songs the way we want and not focusing on our ability to perform them as a duo. We’ll figure that shit out later."

More new songs will be making guest appearances. Stay tuned for updates at:

• http://www.28-200.com
• http://www.myspace.com/28200
• http://www.twitter.com/28200
• http://www.facebook.com/28to200
• http://www.reverbnation.com/28to200

New Local Music on its way to Parker Library

Here are (relatively) new CDs that our ace cataloger Erica Olivier is ready to send over to us for our extensive Local Music collection:

• Dig deep -- The Motet
• It’s time for love -- Carl Dixon and the Jazz Cats
• The hate album -- Kissing Party
• Naked dinner -- Time
• Letters I never plan to mail -- Wadirum
• Honey Don’t
• Will you be my friend -- The Rooster Brothers
• Just take two and call us in the morning -- 20XIII
• Jewell Tyme presents: Music, money and round tables
• Zugenruhe -- Stella Luce
• Sacred paths -- Asia Jazz Projects
• I carry -- Adai
• A good thing -- Rachael Pollard
• Let’s play ping pong -- Three Squared
• Knees together ankles crossed -- Abracastabya
• Silos & smokestacks -- Chella Negro
• What’s old is new again -- Mike Schikora
• Dualistics

(Image of The Motet courtesy of the band).

Westword Music Showcase 2011: What bands or solo artists are absolutely getting your vote?

I voted immediately and did one write-in, The Outfit. What bands or solo artists did you vote for in what categories on the Westword Music Showcase 2011 ballot, or are you waiting to vote until you see a bunch at the showcase, which features 150 local acts? Please comment below. Thanks from Jeanie

Relive the magic ...

Check out Kantankerous on our YouTube channel if you missed yesterday's show.

Here's a Johnny Clash clip to wet your appetite:

Save the date: CD release party for The Outfit

THE OUTFIT: These guys are kick-ass so I want to go out of my way to promote their CD release party for their debut full-length album, Broken West Wishbone Test.

The Outfit performed for Parker Library's Live Local Music Series last August, and I was knocked out by their performance.

I can see them doing BIG things down the road if they just keep on doing what they are doing, and if you were to check out their other CD from our collection, I know you would agree.

Save the date: The CD release party is Friday, May 6. They are playing with Colfax Speed Queen, The Dig and The Knew. (The Knew are also bad-ass!)
Very cool for The Outfit, they were featured in The Denver Post this week in the Steal This Track section, which is done by veteran music journalist Eryc Eyl, who has been "neck-deep" in local music for years and is a Colorado native.

Steal The Outfit clip at http://tinyurl.com/stealthistracktheoutfit.

Says Eyl about The Outfit: "The Outfit is straightforward, unapologetic rock and roll."

(Check out Steal This Track every Monday for new local music. The Mile High Makeout runs every Friday.)

Below is a clip of The Outfit doing the Live Local Music Series in late August. For more of our clips of them and other bands who have done the Live Local Series, see our YouTube channel.



(Photo and flier courtesy of the band. Video courtesy Parker Library's Live Local Music Series.)

News from Dinner with Cannibals ...

This just in from Denver-based Dinner With Cannibals:

For Immediate Release
Dinner With Cannibals release their first full-length album, Sweetlord

As a result of blending classical sensibilities with electro and prog-punk, the Denver-based quartet Dinner with Cannibals has been labeled an "unholy glorious mess of a band." The band’s first full-length release, SweetLord, is no exception. The genre leaping songs presented on SweetLord allow the band’s self-indulgent angst to be carefully pitted against electronic influence and punk rock roots while maintaining a constant classical music underpinning.

Dinner With Cannibals flatter the indulgent angst of punk and electro with the charm and attention of progressive and classical music. Energetic and infectious, Dinner With Cannibals methodically teeter on the edge of the familiar, ambitiously defying categorization. Venturing far from boundary and wet with influences spanning genres, Dinner With Cannibals daringly finds themselves residing in the aesthetics of an indie-classical electro prog-punk hybrid.

News from the F.O.E. lines

We always keep up on F.O.E. because we LOVE him and his music -- and especially love his tweets -- so I asked him for a short update on what he's got going on. Here's his latest news, straight from his mouth to yours:

Locked in the studio only coming out for shows and new drug runs, this is my daily routine. I have been trying to put out a bunch of new good music this year, working with a couple of different producers and artists with hopes of releasing six solo projects this year. At this moment I am recording projects with Lokon and Al Catone for EPs to be released in a few months, along with some videos to go along with each project.

I have also started a new venture with a group called BLKHRTS (other members: Yonnas of The Pirate Signal & Karma) we released a project in January that has done pretty well, & we were also honored with Westword's Best New Band of 2011. We are currently recording songs to be released monthly starting late April, first single is called "Sex, Drugs, Violence, Money & Death" which will be available on www.BLKHRTS.com.

I have a few tours coming up both solo and with my group throughout the U.S. and hopefully if everything goes as planned we will be in Europe in the winter. You can stay posted with ALL I do at www.KingFOE.com. Oh yea vote BLKHRTS & KingFOE in Westword's Music Showcase, NOW!!!!

Watch my favorite F.O.E. clip from his show here ...

Artist review: Fred Hess Big Band

Fred Hess Big Band -- Into the Open [LP]
By Jeanie Straub
JStraub@ColoradoMusicBuzz.com

Fred Hess is one to beat. In the Colorado music scene, few are as prolific or as worthy of writing home about as jazz composer Hess, whose website motto says he is “committed to exploring the boundaries of notated and improvised music.” Hess, a saxophonist and coordinator of Jazz Studies at Metropolitan State College of Denver, most recently has put out a CD with a big band overflowing with immense talent, including favorite Ron Miles. If Into the Open is any indication, Hess and his band-mates are living up to the commitment to pushing the edge: It just isn’t possible for music to be any more energizing than this. Hess’s own background is that he completed a doctorate in music composition from the University of Colorado, Boulder, in 1991. He first attended the Creative Music Studio in Woodstock, N.Y. (1979) and founded the Boulder Creative Music Ensemble (1982), was the founding director of Denver’s Creative Music Works Orchestra (1993) and was a member of drummer Ginger Baker’s Denver Jazz Quintet. He has recorded 14 CDs under his own name and twice received Colorado’s Composition Fellowship (1986, 1994), won Denver’s inaugural Hennessey Jazz Search (1991), the Jazz Composers Alliance, Julius Hemphill Award (2000), and first prize at the First International Jazz Composers Symposium (2006). Even without all this, his latest CD is an inspiration. If you don’t think you’re into improvisational jazz or haven’t invested much time with the genre, Into the Open is about to convert you. It makes an outstanding introduction and is lip-smacking for aficionados.

The Fred Hess Big Band: Fred Hess (leader/composer, tenor saxophone); John Gunther (alto saxophone); Johan Eriksson (alto saxophone); Peter Sommer (tenor saxophone); Mark Harris (baritone saxophone); Brad Goode (trumpet); Dave Rajewski (trumpet); Al Hood (trumpet); Ron Miles (trumpet); Tom Ball (trombone); Nelson Hinds (trombone); Hoyt Andres (trombone); Gary Mayne (bass trombone); Marc Sabetella (piano); Ken Filiano (bass); Matt Wilson (drums); Tyler Gilmore (conductor)

CD due out from female-fronted rock/metal band Born in Winter

Born in Winter, a female-fronted rock/metal band from Denver, has a new album in the works that will be available online May 1.

Stay tuned for CD release party dates and tour dates!

https://twitter.com/borninwinter
http://www.myspace.com/borninwinter

Kantankerous clips ...

Three members of Kantankerous play "Lonesome with You" (Stanley Brothers)



One more great music clip -- three of Kantankerous members play "Foggy Mountain Special" (Earl Scruggs)

Come to our outdoor show on 04/30!

Traditional bluegrass band next up ...

Next up in Parker Library's Live Local Music Series is traditional bluegrass band Kantankerous.

Join us at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 30, in Room A at Parker Library. If the weather is nice, we're moving the band outside to the south lawn.

From the band's website:

"Kantankerous delivers it's own brand of high energy, traditional bluegrass with a repertoire stretching from Bill Monroe to Oh Brother, Where Art Thou. The group features tight vocal harmonies and cookin' instrumental solos that spotlight traditional fiddle tunes and hard driving breakdowns mixed with heartfelt ballads."

If you missed our last show with Casey James Prestwood and the Burning Angels, you can check out the show on our YouTube channel.

Here's one of the three clips you can find there:

Artist review: Colorado Goat Ropers Guild

Colorado Goat Ropers Guild -- Fly [LP]
by Jeanie Straub
Colorado Music Buzz
JStraub@ColoradoMusicBuzz.com

It is notable that the Colorado Goat Ropers Guild did this CD at Notably Fine Audio in Denver, because this is the finest stripped down classic country I’ve heard in a while and it stands alone very well precisely because of the clean production. Good vocals and standout instrumentation round out country lyrics that are fresher than the usual fare: “How many times must I call you back … I’m just a fool for you / Then again, I’m not. I’m a laughing martyr alone on a cross.” The 10 tracks on this CD showcase a brand of austere Americana that will appeal to almost everyone who digs a little Johnny Cash more often than not.

Band members: Wayne Russell (guitar, vocals), Charlie Russell (bass, vocals), Glenn Taylor (pedal steel, vocals), Todd Moore (drums, percussion)

Recorded and engineered by Mario Casilio and Colin Bricker at Notably Fine Audio, Denver

ropeagoat.com
myspace.com/hicksydix

Quote of the Day from my FAV music blogger ...

"We're in an era of revolution. All the old institutions are crumbling and new ones are being built. Don't listen to the cries of those whose businesses are being decimated, music will survive. And if it's as good as that of the people in this movie, everyone will know it and it will rain down cash." -- Bob Lefsetz, LefsetzLetter
--
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

Artist review: Three Squared ...

Three Squared -- Object [EP]
By Jeanie Straub
Colorado Music Buzz

Three Squared is a quartet of musicians who like the freedom improv provides and know how to put it to good use; they tout jazz fused with “countless influences” as well as their “individual musical paths” as their product. And you’d be buying what their hawking (were you not at their CD release party on Nov. 27 at Dazzle, where they were handing out the CDs for free). These six tracks, one as long as 11:09, you’ll find yourself looping, even if you are not a jazz aficionado. Along with a profile of each musician, the linear notes discuss Antwon Owens, percussionist, bringing “unparalleled passion and sensitivity to the rhythmic forces of a set,” and really all of them -- that’s, in addition to Owens, Jim Disner on guitar, Matt King on saxophone, and Nathan Walter on bass -- bring not only classical training meshed with passion, wisdom, and an ability to complete each other, but mass groove, straight-up.

cdbaby.com/cd/thr33squared

JStraub@ColoradoMusicBuzz.com

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/