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GENERAL INQUIRIES Info@ColoradoMusicBuzz.com SPONSORSHIPS / OTHER Please email us a written request proposal for all inquires to Editor@ColoradoMusicBuzz.com CMB Submissions and Advertising Policy Colorado Music Buzz welcomes submissions, advertisements and sponsorships from those connected to every musical genre and style, as well as the general public. Due to our publication’s community focus, article content and advertisements containing nudity, drug references, profane words/visuals, or sexually exploitative material will not be accepted. Please feel free to voice any concerns you may have and collaborate with us to adapt what you would like to present in a way that respects both our all-ages audience and your artistic integrity. We are here for the music, and we are here for you.
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Colorado Music Buzz Magazine is published monthly by Colorado Music Buzz Magazine LLC (Publisher) and distributed to over 650 locations throughout greater Denver, Boulder, Colorado Springs, and surrounding areas. Reproduction in any manner in whole or in part without express written consent of the Publisher is strictly prohibited. Views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher or its staff. Colorado Music Buzz Magazine LLC does not limit or discriminate based on ethnicity, gender, age, disability status, spiritual beliefs, familial status, or national origin, and does not accept editorial content or advertisements that do.
Waka Winter Classic Coming to CO Wakarusa Music Festival is thrilled to announce the 9th annual Waka Winter Classic. The classic will travel through 20 cities in 14 states, searching for the best musical talent to play at the 12th annual 2015 Wakarusa Music Festival in Ozark, AR on June 4-7, 2015. The tour will begin at The Parish in Austin, TX on January 22nd and will continue through the south, hitting major cities along the way including Dallas, Denver, Memphis, Chicago and more. The tour, 20 dates all together, will wrap up at Stickyz in Little Rock, AR on February 28th. Artists and musicians can sign up through the official Waka Winter Classic website and up to five artists will be chosen to perform in each city. The five chosen artists will be selected based on Talent, Musicianship, Draw and Marketability. Each of the five artists will then be showcased in each city, and will compete for the chance to play for over 20,000 fans at Wakarusa Music Festival. The audience will choose the winner and each winning artist will receive cash prizes. Wakarusa Music Festival is a grassroots festival nestled in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas where the beauty of nature synchronizes with the euphoric sounds of live music. 2015 will mark the twelfth year of Wakarusa and the seventh year at the picturesque Mulberry Mountain near Ozark, Arkansas. Wakarusa has been graced by over one hundred worldclass artists and continues to stir the musical interests of folks from all 50 states and beyond. For more information on Waka Winter Classic visit www.wakawinterclassic.com. Waka Winter Classic Dates: Jan 29, 2015- Cervantes’- Denver, CO Jan 31, 2015- Hodi’s Half Note- Ft. Collins, CO
Ruby Generations Assiting With Levitt Fundraising Efforts
White Rose Gala Coming to Ellie Caulkens Opera House
Ruby Generations is a grassroots fundraising effort to build the Levitt Pavilion Denver. Our group iscomprised of live performance industry professionals and performance enthusiasts that see the value in building a space that is accessible, sustainable, and provides free opportunities for citizens to enjoy live performance. Furthermore, we recognize that the Levitt Pavilion Denver is an economic engine and we believe supporting its construction will result in opportunities for the entire industry.
Ring in New Year the way it was meant to be!! Spend your night listening to our 10 piece Big Band “Colorado Swing Cats” with classic 20’s music, or pop over and listen to the Vegas style DJ’s. Put on your best attire and attitude and purge the prior year with us. Chill out in the Speakeasy or play craps and blackjack in the VIP area.
What are Ruby Generations goals? - Outreach: Our positions within the industry make us ideal ambassadors of the Levitt Pavilion Denver and our events create the opportunity to garner feedback from the greater community. - Fundraise via live performance events: Our expertise is producing live performance events and that is why we are partnering with local performance artists, local businesses, and local venues to produce events in unique places that showcase the many and varied talents of Denverites and Coloradans. - Fundraise through compilation albums: Our connections to artists have provided us the opportunity to solicit music from local artists and to create several compilation volumes. Download Ruby Generations Volume 1 at RubyGenerations.Bandcamp.com Core Principles of Events - Diverse live performance acts, Accessible to alternative modes of transportation. Sustainable practices. You can help by contacting Ean Tafoya with Ruby Generations at 720.621.8985 or RubyGenerationsDenver@gmail.com RubyGenerations.com
Flapper Girls, Ballroom Dance Exhibitions, 40+ performers, 2,000 guests, Balloon drop at midnight, 10 DJs, multi-levels and balconies, ultra décor throughout. NYE Party Hats, Noise Makers & Coat Check. New Years Eve will never be the same in Denver!! Vegas style mash-up club music, swing, big band and 80’s music! Love Hope Strength will have a sign up for bone marrow database! Clear The Air Foundation - Check out more info at cleartheairfoundation. org. TICKETS: GA – $69 VIP – $109 Table – $99 Couch Pit – $299 – SOLD OUT Dress Code - Elegant Attire - No Jeans - Roaring 20’s Theme; Flapper dress, suit, hats. 95% of crowd comes dressed to the 9’s. Ticket Outlet: Wizard’s Chest - 303-321-4204- 230 Fillmore Street, Denver, CO 80206 For more details and full info please visit whiterosegala.com
The 1Up Offering Discounted Ticket Prices In keeping with its arcade theme, The 1up - Colfax has introduced special discounted tickets for many of the shows held at the arcade-bar-music venue. Classic arcade games cost 25 cents to play and now concert goers can purchase tickets for 25 perCENT of the advanced ticket price. The 1up 25 perCENT special is only available to those 21 and over. Starting with the January 15 show featuring The Malah, Technicolor Tone Factory and Greener Grounds, the first 25 tickets will be sold at the discounted price. Tickets are on sale now for $1.75. Once those tickets are gone, the remaining tickets will be available for $7 in advance and $12 on the day of show. The Malah, a Denver based live-electronic trio, has been captivating ears across the country with their organic, electro grooves since 2003. In a scene, where live-electronic music is running rampant, The Malah has managed to stand out by mixing rich, earthy atmospheres with electrifying rhythms. The trio explores the meeting point of cutting-edge technology and ancient musical theory and brings together influences from an endless array of genres including Funk, Hip Hop, Jazz, World Beat, Trance, and Breakbeat. Tickets can be purchased online at the1up. com or ticketfly.com. The 1up - Colfax, located at 717 E Colfax Avenue, is a more than 500 person music venue that offers a club style atmosphere as well as a classic arcade with 50 arcade games and 19 pinball machines. It’s open seven days a week with live music being held up to five nights a week. The 1up has a second location in LoDo at 1925 Blake Street.
In Memory of Joe Bonner: 1948-2014 Joe Bonner was a beloved jazz musician and phenomenal artist. His work touched many, and his legacy includes a large footprint here Colorado’s music scene. A public memorial service and screening of his final album Current Events will take place December 19 at The Living Room, 1055 Broadway in Denver. Below are a few words from some of Joe’s friends, posted on Facebook in reply to CMB’s query.
Popular jazz musician Joe Bonner has passed away, shortly after finishing work on what will be his final album entitled Current Events. Chris Guillot of Bonner’s label Cherry Sound Records shares a few words, along with some of the musician’s long-time friends. I am sure many of you know of the recent passing of Joe Bonner. He was a brilliant vibrant musician, and great friend. I have been struggling to find words to share from my perspective, but still, I am having trouble finding them. He left a shining legacy of music for us to live on with into the future. At Cherry Sound, we had the great honor and privilege of helping to make his last record entitled “Current Events”. It is a collection of all original Joe Bonner compositions, performed solo by Joe Bonner on the Piano. We were planning on hosting a CD release party on December 19th at The Living Room. We will still be carrying through with this event. We will be playing music from Current Events, and showing documentary footage of the making of the album. We may also have some live music and some fun. It is an opportunity for us to celebrate this great man. Joe was the first Jazz Musician I played with. There are references to a couple songs he loved in the poem.Wild Angel, unvarnished, mad scientist, virtuosity in service to ugly beauty, brash, bold, BADASS, crazy m f, and a really beautiful cat, a rascal on a rock! – Andy O’Leary COMING FROM THE MODAL SCHOOL OF PLAYING ANCESTOR JOE BONNER IS MY 3 TOP PLAYERS OF ALL TIME- Charles Louis Brown Joe will be greatly missed. May my 45+ year friend R.I.P.- Junius Fletcher Hicks
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December 2014 | ColoradoMusicBuzz.com
National Buzz:
on. I think a lot of the songs on this record, a lot of the characters that I created, it feels like they are trying to make sense of this darkness. It seems like everyone is throwing their hands in the air and there is this darkness that is just taking over, and I’m not okay with that.”
Everclear’s Art Alexakis Talks New Album, Tour Life by Tim Wenger
Portland, Oregon’s alt-rock superstars Everclear plan to drop their first album since 2012’s Invisible Stars next spring. They have fashionably dubbed the new record Black is the New Black. CMB spoke with front man and long-time band leader Art Alexakis about the album, where he is as an artist, and a documentary in which he was a major player. Everclear hoped to touch new ground with this new album. Alexakis wanted to make a record that was strictly rock and now filler and feels that this is it. “It’s just a badass hard rock record that I love listening to,” Alexakis says. “I haven’t felt this way about a record since Sparkle and Fade (1995) to be honest with you.” For Alexakis, it gave the band an opportunity to make a statement about the lost state of society and begin a search for answers. “There are no ballads. I wanted to make a contemporary sounding rock record that didn’t go over the same ground but still pushed all of the buttons that a rock record could push. I’m kind of playing in the darkness a little bit more.” His songs strive to tell a story, some aiming to get a firm point across. With the record as a whole, Alexakis sought to find an explanation, or at least some kind of standing ground, for the common person observing the current sociopolitical landscape. “Something I’ve always said about my songs is that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel, and there still is with this record. Things are so fragmented right now politically, and most people are somewhere in the middle just wondering what the fuck is going
Who Played the Best Local Set of 2014? We polled readers to get thoughts on their favorite local shows of the year. Here are the unfiltered responses we received-
- Barrel House String Band at Black Rose Acoustic Society! - Roger Clyne and Jim Dalton at Soiled Dove. - Bear Antler @ Hi Dive, Other Black @ Herman’s Hideaway, AdrienneO @ Soiled Dove -The Motet -Vices I Admire at UMS and Viretta at Summit Music Hall - Dogs Got Flavor at Herman’s Hideaway - Gothic - Flood of Souls, Modern Weapons, Fist Fight and Scarlight - HURRICANE VIC -Jaden Carlson Band at Groove Music Fest - Birch Street at the Bluebird! - Chingaso at lions lair - Scarlight at the Summit - Scarlight at the Gothic
One song in particular from the record stands out to Alexakis on this point. “There’s a song called “American Monster.” The perspective of that person, that’s every evil person that ever lived. That’s like the embodiment of Satan, but I don’t believe in Satan. I believe that there’s nothing more scary than human beings when they want to be, and also nothing more beautiful and uplifting as well. There’s the juxtaposition of that, so I think this is a record that really takes American culture and looks at the darkness of it, and tries to make sense of it.” Everclear has been making music since 1991. Alexakis is the sole remaining original member, having watched bassist Craig Montoya and drummer Greg Eklund leave the band in 2003 following the release of the album Slow Motion Daydream. He found new members and the band recorded Welcome to the Drama Club in 2006 and Invisible Stars in 2012, with numerous tours in between including the now annual Summerland Tour, which each year showcases Everclear along with other bands who saw commercial success in the 1990s. Alexakis, through all of this, has never lost his will to keep playing and determination to progress his music. “I’m 52 years old, I make no bones about it, I’m actually proud of it,” Alexakis says. “I love playing rock and roll. I love playing music. I have the passion for it, I have the fire for it, I still have the health for it. I go out and I leave blood on the stage every night. That’s rock and roll to me.” Pledge towards the making of the album and keep up on news at pledgemusic.com/projects/ everclear. - Daenerys and the Targaryens at Lions Lair - OneRepublic @ red rocks - Forty Fathoms - Playing The Saint shows at Herman’s Hideaway, The Toad Tavern, The Oriental Theatre, The Roxy Theatre, The Armory, Cervantes Masterpiece, and more... - Kenny Lee Young.. And at any venue. He’s always playing his heart out! -Amanda Hawkins at the Westword Music Showcase. - METALPALOOZA - “Running Out of Road” at Durango Bluegrass Meltdown - Scarlight at the Gothic !!! -The Congress...anytime and anywhere they play... - Codec - Reno Divorce... Every show! - 9 Volt Fatale at the Oriental Theatre -Town Cavalry at the Shakedown in Vail. - The Congress...Red Rocks! - FACE
Why Jazz Matters: Track 9 by Norm Provizer
A few months ago in this column, I made mention of the tribute Snoop Dog paid to Herbie Hancock when the Kennedy Center honored the great jazz pianist in 2013. At the event, Snoop referred to Hancock as the person who “invented hip hop.” While that testimonial might be a bit overly enthusiastic, anyone interested in understanding it might want to take a look at Hancock’s new autobiography titled Possibilities. The word “possibilities” is clearly one that Hancock finds extremely attractive. After all, in addition to being the title of his autobiography, it was also the title of the pianist’s 2005 disc of duets (with folks from Carlos Santana, Paul Simon, Sting and John Mayer to Annie Lenox and Christina Aguilera), as well as a 2006 documentary on Hancock. And it’s not a bad choice at all. Born in Chicago in 1940, Hancock’s classical chops were on display at the age of 11 when he performed a taste of Mozart with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Then he was off to Grinnell College to study engineering. Eventually, he switched his major to composition, but Hancock still left Grinnell just before graduating to return to practicing the music back in Chicago. (In 1972, Grinnell made things right when the college granted Hancock an honorary doctorate of fine arts.) Before long he connected with trumpeter Donald Byrd and went to New York in 1961 to work with Byrd’s group. By 1962, the pianist’s work was sufficiently impressive enough to get him a contract with Blue Note Records. That year, he released his first disc as a leader, Takin’ Off (which contained his original composition “Watermelon Man”). More Blue Note albums followed, adding his compositions “Cantaloupe Island” (that US3 would cover as “Cantaloupe”), “Maiden Voyage,” “Dolphin Dance,” “Speak Like a Child” and others to the list of jazz standards played by musicians everywhere.
Mwandishi sextet that served up a blend of music. After Mwandishi, Hancock launched his electric Headhunters group that got attention with its tune “Chameleon” from the band’s inaugural disc in 1973. It was all part of the birth of jazz-rock. Miles Davis was going electric and there was Chick Corea’s Return to Forever and John McLaughlin’s Mahavishnu Orchestra. Hancock even had a recurring dream of playing with Sly and the Family Stone. Then in 1983, Hancock made a major pop splash with “Rockit.” In the decades that followed, Hancock would play in straight-ahead jazz contexts (including duets with fellow pianist Chick Corea, a duet that will be in Denver in March) and would win an Oscar for his soundtrack for the movie Round Midnight), as well as keeping his ear open to more pop sounds. And in 2008, he accomplished something that just doesn’t happen very often at all – Hancock created a jazz disc that won the Grammy as best album (of any kind) of the year. That was his Joni Mitchell tribute titled River: The Joni Letters. Speaking of the important role played by Miles Davis in his musical life, Hancock has noted that the trumpeter “set me on a path to find my own answer.” When it comes to creativity, that’s exactly what leaders should do – not provide the answers but set the talented members of their groups on a path to discover their own answers. In terms of live jazz on tap during the month, Dazzle continues to add to its impressive record of bringing in many of the best newer groups in the music when bassist Ben Allison and his band are on stage December 3-4. Later in the month, Dazzle offers three players connected to Denver who have significant reputations nationally. On December 20, it’s cornetist/trumpeter Ron Miles performing with his group that has one of the top drummers in jazz, Matt Wilson, on hand. The following week (December 27-28), alto saxophonist Brad Leali returns to town with his Jazz Orchestra, followed by the great modernblues player Otis Taylor on December 30-31. For a taste of New Orleans, the Rebirth Brass Band is at the Bluebird Theater on December 6, while bassist Victor Wooten is at Cervantes on December 27. And the Organization offers a jazz take on the music of Jimi Hendrix at Dazzle on December 6.
At the same time that Hancock’s solo career was taking off, the pianist also joined Miles Davis in what is frequently referred to as the trumpeter’s second great quintet – a quintet with a revolutionary rhythm section made of Hancock, bassist Ron Carter and 17-year-old drummer Tony Williams, plus the eventual addition of Wayne Shorter on tenor saxophone. It was with Davis that Hancock first sat down at the electric piano; and by 1968, the pianist was ready to move out on his own with the eclectic
December 2014 | ColoradoMusicBuzz.com
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ReverbNation Featured Artists of the Month give independent artists who have not been featured in our magazine the opportunity to have their bio published, have their tracks played on Music Buzz LIVE Radio (Wednesdays from 6-8 pm on worldviral.tv) and get on our radar. All artists are selected via submissions through their ReverbNation pages.
Zeta June Zeta June was formed in the fall of 2011 in Iowa City, Iowa with four members that brought their own musical influences to help shape the unique sound Zeta June brings. Those members are: Ian Crawford (guitar,vocals), Porter Hand (vocals, guitar, synthesizers), Mitch Hruby (bass, vocals), and Cody Kuhens (drums, percussion, vocals). Together they play original music that covers a wide spectrum of genres, that creates a unique blend of psychedelic dance rock. Their first album, self-titled Zeta June, was released in September 2013 and embodies the various styles of music Zeta June plays. They have played in many festivals and cities, most notably the last three years at Summercamp Music Festival in Chillicothe, Illinois. In August of 2014 the band relocated to Denver, Colorado to bring their sound and style to the thriving music scene of Denver, as well as continuing to grow and develop their own music. Online: reverbnation.com/zetajune No Fair Fights In a Denver scene that is mostly dominated by soft radio (The Fray, The Lumineers, Flobots, Breathe Carolina), No Fair Fights is striving to show people what amazing things can happen when you collide Rock with Metal. NFF’s music has found airplay on regional clear channel radio stations and has had music on multiple seasons of MTV’s Real World/Road Rules Challenge, as well as on FX’s hit series “The Riches”. Live, NFF has played the Denver stop of the Vans Warped Tour and shared stages with several national acts including Unwritten Law, Pepper, Finch, Shinedown, The Greeley Estates, and August Burns Red. Online: reverbnation.com/nofairfights Mr Kneel Neil is a professional speaker, Hip-Hop Emcee and Beatboxer. He uses his talents as “Mr Kneel” to encourage and uplift children of all ages. Neil has been featured in Rolling Stone, Billboard and Urb(urban music) magazines. He has won several awards for his music and even co-wrote a song that was nominated for an American Music Award. Recently he has turned his attention toward non-profit groups doing the most good for kids. He has created original material for The Children’s Museums of Denver and Lincoln, Why Try, Gabriel’s Foundation of Hope and Rachel’s Challenge. Online: reverbnation.com/mrkneelhiphopforfamilies Terminal Degree Terminal Degree is the brainchild of drummer/composer Mike Barnett. The band’s debut album, The Middle of Nowhen, represents a unique conception of progressive metal/jazz/ classical fusion. The ensemble itself shatters the metal archetype and thecompositions display a musical depth that is rare by any rock/metal standard. The band is comprised of musicians with highly diverse backgrounds and consummate musical skill, and the pristine production fully captures the magnitude of each performance. Consisting of nine purely instrumental tracks, The Middle of Nowhen is faithful to the listener who is committed to the art of listening and who believes that music is more than just sonic wallpaper. Timeless, intelligent and frighteningly original, this is the stuff that cult classics are made of. Online: reverbnation.com/drmetalrox The Host Club Since 2009, The Denver based band, The Host Club has been perfecting the art of fusing relatable heart on your sleeve lyrics, singable pop/rock melodies, and hooks that stay with you long after the song has ended. Started by the three Elrod brothers, Aaron, Adam and Alex, they released their first E.P. “Tut Tut” in 2010 to garner attention from some of Denver’s biggest names. In 2012, The Host Club followed up “Tut Tut” with their self-titled E.P. “The Host Club”. Produced by engineers/producers Jeff Kanan and Nick Sullivan, “The Host Club” was released to critical acclaim. The Host Club has played festivals and venues on the west coast, as well as locally in and around the Denver area. In 2011 they won a spot on KTCL’s Big Gig at Fiddlers Green with My Chemical Romance, and Blink 182. They followed up their success by winning another spot for Big Gig 2012 at Red Rocks Amphitheater with the Hives and 30h!3. They have been played on KTCL 93.3, ALICE 105.9, and KBCO 97.3 in Denver. They released their first full length album “Coincidence” in September 2014. The Host Club continues to be one of the most anticipated bands coming out of the flourishing music scene in Denver. Online: reverbnation.com/thehostclub
To submit for the opportunity to be a ReverbNation Featured Artist of the Month, look for the “Submission Opportunity” on your artist page.
December 2014 | ColoradoMusicBuzz.com
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Snake Rattle Rattle Snake- Totem
by Tim Wenger
We’ve all been waiting a long time for this. Totem, the new record from acclaimed Denver indie rockers Snake Rattle Rattle Snake, is a euphoric, trippy, and emotional look into the psyche of a somewhat hidden band. Hayley Helmericks’ vocals are a mix of dark avante garde pop and South Broadway indie rock flair. The instrumentation is rich, heavy on electronic effects. Many of the nine tracks on the album feel at first as though they are building up to something, but upon a second listen it becomes apparent that the intricacy of the music itself is explosion you were waiting for the whole time. Six years into Snake Rattle’s career and I still haven’t figured out how to properly dance to their music, and I’ve finally figured out why: The dance needs to happen on the inside. With so much going on in each song, getting the most out of their music requires the utmost attention not only to the sound, but to the detail. A very solid listen. Online: facebook.com/snakerattlerattlesnake Lindsay SaundersMiles Before Sleep
by Tim Wenger
L i n d s a y Saunders focuses all of her talent, on her new record Miles Before Sleep, where she feels it should be. Instead of doubling or even tripling up instrumentally, she gives the whole of her attention to creating harmonic, rhythmic guitar work that at times seem to possess a southwestern feel (though she is based in Boulder). The four-track EP, through Saunder’s heartfelt guitar work, possesses more raw emotion than many four-or-five-piece bands. This is the type of music that is the perfect acquaintance for a mountain hike, a late night drive, or while cooking a homemade lunch. Online: https://soundcloud.com/lawmmp/ sets/miles-before-sleep-by-lindsey/s-HfBrk
The Coast Is OursNear
by Tim Wenger
It’s good to hear some solid melodic hardcore/pop-punk coming out of Denver. In a city so dominated by indie rock, the new album from The Coast Is Ours is a breath of fresh air. Hard-line distorted guitar work dominates the sound, and Ben Sawatsky’s tenor-leaning vocals are a good reflection of the state of the genre. These guys do it well and the heart that they put into the music is obvious in every song (dare we say, emo?) The guitar work is often reminiscent of New Found Glory, but strays away with solid lead licks that give The Coast Is Ours their own staple sound. Heading into the holidays and the family time that goes with it, this album is the perfect reminder of the good ole’ days in the early 2000’s when I could return to my hometown, turn on the radio, and be swept away by poppunk’s domination of the airwaves. Cheers to The Coast Is Ours, let’s keep it going boys. Online: facebook.com/TheCoastIsOurs
Augustus- The Common Collapse
Amy Kress- Secret Music
by Tim Wenger
Personally, when I think of what I know about the Electronic Pop genre, two things come to mind. First: brooding, goth-infused sounds of personal loathing. Second: Night clubs, which cause me to personally loathe. Then I heard the new record from Amy Kress entitled Secret Music. Instead of the chilling shiver that usually careens through my body when word ‘electronic’ is placed anywhere near the word ‘music,’ I was treated to an unusually personal and eccentric collection of songs that exposed the heart of a woman exploring mindful expression without boundary. Her voice is soft, but maintains authority over the backing music. The music itself varies greatly from track to track- this is not one of those records where every song sounds the same. Some elements of late eighties/early nineties female-fronted pop are present, sitting comfortably next to state-of-the-art production and the seemingly modern concept of true honesty expressed through music. Online: amykressmusic.com
by Tim Wenger
Augustus, out of Boulder, has dropped a new EP that showcases attractive elements of emotion fit to rival the holiday season. Folk and Americana are genres that are no scarcity here in Colorado, but the beautiful thing is that there is always room for more. The EP, dubbed The Common Collapse, is exactly what you’d hope to hear while sipping micro brews on a mountain town- danceable, eclectic, and with the right amount of twang to seem authentic and local. Colin Kelly’s voice is somewhere between Bob Dylan and Adam Aijala of Yonder Mountain String Band, but has a Lumineers-esque alt-mainstream appeal (largely because you can understand what he is saying most of the time). Musically, the band takes the traditional folk-country sound and infuses with some bluegrass roots and a bit of indie flair, making their songs very appealing across genre lines. A solid listen for a trip up to the ski hill this winter. Online: facebook.com/augustusband
Steve Law Band
by Tim Wenger
The Steve Law Band has created a sound that is, in so many ways, a summation of many different things going on in Denver right now. Law’s voice paints the picture of the cool kid wearing a cowboy hat, casually strumming a guitar, not demanding much attention. The guitar work itself on the album is folky with southwestern undertones, and a bit of country flair for good measure. All put together, the sound is unique and appealing across many different genre lines. I can pick out country, indie, Americana, and folk, all very clearly on each song. The percussion never dominates, seceding to Law’s intricate lyrics, female vocal harmonies, and strong lead guitar work. An easy album to throw on repeat while dong chores. Online: soundcloud.com/stevelaw
Matthew QuiggleyTapestry of Life
by Tim Wenger
Matthew Quiggly has dropped an innovative new Americana record through Cherry Sound Record titled Tapestry of Life. It is not often that the title of a record so accurately describes what lies within. In this case, however, Quiggly could not have titled his album better. He touches on love, despair, loneliness, happiness, and the emotional rollercoaster that is life. His touch of modern indie on the Americana genre expresses these feelings in a way this is uniquely his, truly an American form of expression. A slid listen.
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Online: facebook.com/matthewquigglymusic
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December 2014 | ColoradoMusicBuzz.com
The Manger’s Corner by Chris Daniels
I’ve managed my own band for 30 years and I’m in the Colorado Music Hall of Fame. All that’s nice but today’s music business is changing at light-speed and you have to be more engaged in the ‘biz’ than ever. Some things have not changed, careers are still built on some tried and true elements: great music, performance and timing. But today’s artists must work harder than ever to succeed. The good news is that we have new tools to help young musicians grow their fan base. The book I wrote for the course I teach at CU Denver on artist management is called “DIY: You’re Not in it Alone.” While you are ultimately responsible for your own career, these days it’s essential to make the most of all the help that is offered along the way. The glamorous business of rock n roll, right? Well maybe not. The nuts and bolts of that business are not very sexy, but the details are often the difference between getting paid and not receiving any revenue when a radio station or satellite radio network “spins your record.” As artists, we tend to focus on the songs, recording the best vocal track, or getting a great mix, playing the best gigs and all the challenges of making a recording or giving a great performance. But there is more to it. Forty years ago you were lucky to get a record deal with a label that had the power to promote a single – getting you airplay on radio (called “spins”) and, hopefully, a position on the Top 100 Billboard chart. Disc Jockeys (DJs) wrote down what tracks they played and announced them on the radio and reported the spins to the various trade magazines and agencies (like ASCAP and other performing rights organizations) and that all generated revenue for the songwriter, the label, and artist. That success on radio made touring possible. That was the circle. Slide the fader up forty years and everything is done digitally. And this is where the details matter. For those artists wishing to break out of Colorado – to get your recording to a larger market, to get paid when it is played on Sirius/XM and to have your internet success through YouTube and other social media leads to touring beyond our little island - there are a number of detailed technical issues you must address. This article will focus on three of them but there are many more. First, USIRC codes imbedded in your master for radio and internet tracking as well as SoundExchange payments to you for the spins. Second, if you are selling any kind of physical product, from t-shirts to CDs you will need UPC codes for SoundScan reporting and to make merch sales easier and faster. And before either of the first two steps can be applied to your CD you need to “master” your project. I am assuming that everybody who reads this column knows what mastering is. But in the off chance that you don’t I will briefly explain. The reason I include this is because the USIRC codes are added to your song files during mastering. So, step one – mastering: Every track that you record in your home studio or your garage or even at one of the best studios in town has a number of characteristics that make up the unique sound of the record. These can be both positive and unique and negative and problematic for the listener. Specifically, that track that sounds so great in your home studio may, in fact, have a lower bass “punch” than similar tracks in the broader marketplace and genre of the music you play. There can be other characteristics that have to do with the instrumentation on the track, the kind of drum sound the engineer went for, the frequency ‘stacking’ in any given area of the song and the over all “level” of the master mix. For example a jazz tune with an acoustic stand-up bass is going to have a
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very different set of frequencies that are dominant in the recording compared to a project that uses a funk electric slap-bass or a hip-hop synth bass. The job of the mastering engineer is not to make the stand-up bass sound like the synth but to bring out all the frequencies that make each one unique to the instrument while simultaneously making it possible for the listener of KUVO’s jazz format - who then switches channels to KBCO to hear his or her favorite song by the Fray – able to listen to both without having to adjust all the settings on their radio to accommodate the two completely different song sounds and radio formats. It’s a pretty impressive trick of electronics and art when done right. In Colorado we have a number of studios that do mastering and one Grammy award winning “mastering lab” in Boulder. Airshow Mastering has won Grammy’s for their work mastering albums that range from early folk recordings to modern rock. It will cost you between $800 and about $2,000 depending on the number of tracks and the complexity of those recordings and it usually takes the better part of a day. But it is well worth it. Dominick, James, and David are some of the best mastering engineers anywhere in the country and if you have a project that is going to be getting national or international attention, talk to Airshow about mastering your record before you release it. There are others including Tom Capek at Colorado Sound, Jeff Merkel from 8 Houses Down in Denver and the good folks at the Blasting Room to mention only a few. A wellmastered recording will (a) sound better then the mix, (b) all the tracks on the album will “stand up” against other industry recorded tracks – meaning they will be comparable across sound pressure level (SPL) and frequency spectrum to any other track you hear on the internet or radio. (c) The time between the songs (usually about one or two seconds) will be calculated for the best “feel” between songs and the track will go to “absolute zero” when it is finished so that the CD player or iTunes store will read it as an individual track and not continuation of the previous track (d) it will sound “universally” fantastic on any medium on which it is played or streamed…whether it is your home studio or your friends 1975 Gremlin with a six-inch mono speaker in the center of the dashboard – your recording will sound balanced and clear in all those systems. Neat trick right? During the mastering, a mastering lab like Airshow will want to know if you are going to generate USIRC codes to embed in the tracks. The simple answer is YES! (Sometimes the mastering lab can do the application for you – and they will embed the codes – but often you will do the paperwork yourself and send the lab the codes – oh the glamor) If you have ever wondered how your car radio knows it is Lake Street Dive on your car radio when it flashes the song title and artist, it is the USIRC codes. These codes also allow a radio station the ability to identify and track how many times your songs are played digitally (we don’t write it down in a log-book anymore). Those digital log-books GET YOU PAID for every spin on both terrestrial and satellite stations and networks as well as Pandora, Spotify, Rhapsody and on internet radio and sites like SoundCloud. These same little groovy codes are what SoundExchange uses to keep track of how many times and on what stations your internet songs get played. It also lets iTunes and Amazon know what songs got downloaded – and unlike streaming – that can add up to real money. If one million people stream your song on Spotify it is not much money (less than $3,000) but if that same song gets downloaded off iTunes one million times that is roughly $500,000 in revenue that you or your record company will collect = and it’s the USIRC code that makes that tracking possible. Starting to see why this is important? Finally, just about everybody knows what a UPC code is. Every time you shop at the grocery store it is that little “barcode” that enables the scanner to read what brand of peanut butter you bought. On CDs and vinyl that barcode is scanned when you buy the new Weepies album at Twist & Shout and is automatically
reported to SoundScan (note this is different than Sound Exchange) as a sale of one of their records. SoundScan uses it to count the number of sales an artist has. And you can set it up so that they will also track your sale of CDs at your merch table when you are touring! SoundScan reports that information to the trade magazines and the various reporting bodies that track an artist’s sales: like the RIAA and many others. Ever wonder how the RIAA knows when a record sold a million copies? It’s through SoundScan and those UPC codes. Billboard knows that Taylor Swift is the only artist to sell platinum so far in 2014. How do they know this? It’s her “analytics.” They are tracking her SoundScan AND her SoundExchange numbers - and UPC and ISRC codes make that tracking possible. Billboard gets that information from the RIAA and other analytics sources like Big Champaign (now owned by Live Nation) that are quantifying the numbers of her spins, streams, downloads and sales figures. You can go directly to any number of internet sites for acquiring a bar code and a set of USIRC codes for your next record or you can use an aggregator that will do all the paperwork for you for about $200. It’s cheaper to do online direct (about $89 for USIRC codes and about $35 for a bar code) but sometimes
it is worth the extra few dollars to have somebody walk them through the process. I’ve done it both ways. The point is to DO IT! The reason that we know of the YouTube success of OKGo or the sales figures of Chemistry Club is because their sales and spins are being tracked using those digital codes. And here is the really important part. For a band just breaking out of the Denver music scene, like Chemistry Club - hoping for their big break with a tour, or a record deal from a major label, or hoping to attract good management – everybody is looking at their “analytics” = their numbers. The big-league manager wants to know if they can sell tickets, the big-league label wants to know how many spins and sales they have, and the major concert promoter wants to know how many butts they can put in his/her venue. IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT FACEBOOK ‘LIKES’ OR followers on Twitter, it is about the analytics. And if you don’t have those codes embedded in the tracks and/or your UPC code and your recording is not mastered must constantly be turned up and/or down by a radio station or a fan while they are driving – you are not going to have any appeal to the “majors” of any kind and you will be missing out on revenue. It is a little “detail” that can mean a lot. with them. It is hard to be sexy in a parka. These are the same girls who get depressed as the moment never comes but they can lie there and fight off pneumonia in their new band shirt, they can keep the dream alive as they stare longingly at your posters and memorize your lyrics while glugging cough syrup.
Between The Covers: The Superfan by Torch
Denver was hit with our first blast of winter like an invading force of Huns from the north. We were enjoying a nice long warm fall, and then the winds blew in causing a deep dive in the degrees. It was 15 degrees on the morning of the 11th of November. Kids, mostly 16-year-old girls, were lined up to see the band The 1975. The first few in line were there by seven in the morning and the doors for the concert weren’t scheduled to open until seven that evening. By noon the line was down the block and the police made the kids take down the one tent they had, as it is considered “urban camping” (a ticketable offense). The girls were bundled in blankets, thermoses in frozen hands and lots of grooming and giggling. The temperature dropped to 12 degrees and snow began to fall; more kids arrived. Around five PM the phones started ringing with angry parents demanding the venue open the doors. This seems like a reasonable request but the venue couldn’t as the staff, security, medics, firemen and all the necessary personnel were not there yet. Legally they couldn’t open the doors- also very reasonable. “MY KID’S FEET ARE BLUE! THIS IS UNCONSCIONABLE!” yelled one mother. Okay, folks, lets take a look at those tickets. Yes it says 7PM so why would you allow your kid to sit outside all day in below freezing weather for any period of time? If your kid is miserable, put them in the car with the heater on, or go home and come back at door time. The pleadings of youth wanting to be in line needs to be weighed against the health risks, but you can’t explain that to a twitter pated teenager. In walking the line you could see girls with arms or legs exposed. Wear clothes and a coat for the love of Pete! No, those girls are dressed for the pinnacle moment when the rock star of their dreams will see them from a few feet away and instantly fall in love
The 1975, just like Black Veil Brides, sold a ton of merch. Black Veil Brides even had BVB letterman jackets, perfect for high school girls with a crush! Just when you think, oh those crazy kids, stop and remember the band you loved, camped out for tickets, showed up hours early and had the time of your life! You had the posters, t-shirts, albums and anything else you could find. You drew their logo on your schoolbooks and listened to every word and note until it was a part of your identity. You were sure that somehow, mysteriously they were singing directly to you! I am guilty of such folly. It was, well a decade or two ago. I camped out at Gart Brothers, which doesn’t exist anymore, for Bon Jovi tickets. Tickets went on sale at 10 AM and I had a good spot in line. The computers at that one store weren’t working and the show sold out. I cried along with the rest of the heartbroken girls in line. The next time they came to town I was sure to get my ticket and I went to Red Rocks with my brother and sister. The rules used to change each year as to what you could bring in to a concert. The year before they banned glass containers, so we filled a plastic gallon milk jug full of margaritas. When we got to the gates they said no disposable containers, as they didn’t want to have to clean up the trash. So, like any good concertgoers we stood at the gate and drank it. I know I was at the show, but by the time Bon Jovi hit the stage, I hit the ground and slept through it in a drunken stupor. Oops. I have yet to see them in concert. The superfan is someone every band and artist depends on; the superfan buys all your merch, concert tickets, meet and greet upgrades, and anything else you can think of to sell them. In an age where you can abscond with free music, it is necessary for artists to survive on the sellable items and concert tours. If you get to the point of having any fans, remember some risk heat exhaustion, wait in lines or parking lots for hours, sit in the rain, and bear freezing weather in order to see you play. Bring your best game to every show, thank the fans, stop for photos and shake some hands. Those freezing blue hands are the hands that feed you.
December 2014 | ColoradoMusicBuzz.com
Amphitheatre to Open at Ruby Hill Park
that. As a larger community everyone needs to understand that we are here to be a value add for local music and emerging artists. We hope that all of the national and local promoters in town consider permitting out the Levitt Pavilion Denver for ticketed events we welcome collaboration. This venue is for everyone not just us.
by Tim Wenger
Levitt Pavilions is a national non-profit organization which runs amphitheaters operating as large scale music venues in cities across the country. In 2016, Levitt will open a Pavilion in Denver’s Ruby Hill Park. The Denver location will be the seventh Levitt Pavilion. According to Levitt Pavilion’s website, “We partner with cities to transform neglected outdoor spaces into welcoming destinations where the power of free, live music brings people together and invigorates community life.”
CMB: What was your take on the forum at the Oriental? Was it successful, and why? CZ: We owe a gigantic thank you to the Denver music industry for coming out in droves to the forum. After all we don’t open until 2016, which can seem like a lifetime away. We chose to do this on a Monday because that tends to be the one off day for musicians and we are so happy we did. We had over 200 music industry professionals in one room catching-up with each other, networking and learning about the Levitt and what it will mean for the community and them.
What makes Levitt unique is that all of their concerts are free. Denver’s Levitt Pavilion will be part of a national foundation dedicated not only to improving neglected parks, but to making the arts more accessible to people of all income levels in the communities they serve. Mortimer Levitt, a New York philanthropist who along with his wife Mimi dedicated a good portion of his life to supporting the arts, founded the Mortimer and Mimi Levitt Foundation in 1963. Executive Director of Levitt Pavilion Denver Chris Zacher said at a forum held at the Oriental Theater on November 17 that the average pay for a band performing at the Ruby Hill venue will be $1,250, with funds coming from the organization’s endowment and fundraising efforts. Surprisingly, many of the acts booked will be local musicians and national up-and-comers, as opposed to the large-level nationals that generally perform at such large venues. Concerts will generally be held weekly. At the forum, Zacher and the Levitt Pavilion Denver Board of Directors answered questions from the music community and touched on subjects such as artist load-in areas, green room amenities, environmental impact, and fan experience. The community was informed that the Pavilion will take steps to ensure that both the artist and fan experience will be top-notch and environmentally progressive. Features such as monitored bike parking and recycling will be offered. As far as impact on the Ruby Hill neighborhood itself, the board said it will do its best to leave a positive footprint and engage the local community. The pavilion promises to offer musicians quality on-stage and back stage experiences, with an easily accessible load in area and state of the art sound system. CMB spoke with Chris Zacher and board members Virgil Dickerson and Lisa Gedgaudas about their roles with the pavilion, and the role in which they see the pavilion playing in Denver’s music community. Chris Zacher is perhaps best known for his work with City Park Jazz. He serves as the Executive Director of Levitt Pavilion Denver. CMB: As Executive Director, what has most of your time been spent on up to this point? CZ: Good question and hard to answer at the same time. Over the past two and a half years I have been starting a non-profit, building a board of directors (a task that never ends), attending music industry conferences, raising money, building a staff, generating awareness and support and so much more. I would say that depending on the time of year the bulk of my time has been focused in one or more of
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those areas with a majority of that time centering on fundraising. CMB: In your opinion, what is the biggest benefit the pavilion will provide to the Denver music scene, and to the public? CZ: The Levitt Pavilion Denver is a game changer for Denver. When I think about what it will mean for local musicians I keep coming back to access. Access to a pay scale that is fair, access to a venue that is built for our local artists, and access to a network of amphitheaters stretching across the US. In order for a musician to make a career out of their craft they need to be fostering multiple markets at the same time and we hope to help them do this though our network. This venue is being built for two purposes and the musicians are one of those purposes. We need mid sized local venues that cater to local artists. This is a value add for them in the Denver community. This is the type of place that attracts talent. I like to say just showup and we’ll take care of everything else. Musicians should be focusing on their art not the economics of the venues they are playing in. We’ll build the crowd and worry about the bar. The other reason we are doing this is for the public. We are a growing city and we need cultural outlets to continue to attract talented individuals to move here. We know that we already have fabulous sports teams and World-class museums and even the best amphitheater in the World but what we are missing is access. It costs lots of money to participate in arts and culture so we ask ourselves how can we change that? How can we as a community do a better job of being
more inclusive? How do we make it so that access to arts and culture is not based on the ability to pay? According to Pollstar in 2013 the average ticket price to a concert in the US was $69.52 and that’s just too much. A family of four is $278.08 in the hole and they haven’t even driven to the venue, paid for parking, or bought food and drink. As a society we cannot continue to gouge patrons it’s not a sustainable business model at some point change is needed and that’s why we are here that’s why we are doing this. CMB: What will be some of the biggest challenges facing the Pavilion’s success in what some consider to be a market already over saturated with venues, most of whom are run by corporate giants like AEG and Live Nation? CZ: First off, I’m not so certain that we are over saturated with venues. We have a total of 5 venues in the metropolitan area that are as big or bigger that the Levitt Pavilion Denver will be at a capacity of 7,500. They are Dick’s Sporting Good Park at 26,000 – Fiddler’s Green at 18,000 – Pepsi Center at 17,600 – Denver Coliseum at 10,200 – and Red Rocks at 9,450. Of those three are not regular concert venues, which leaves us with Fiddlers and Red Rocks. Those venues play in a sandbox that we as an organization cannot play in and we know this we are not a national promoter bringing in Lady GaGa , U2 and The Black Keys. AEG, Live Nation and let’s not forget Soda Jerk have a road map that works well for them. They have been responsible for increasing national and international exposure to the Denver market place and as a music community we owe them a debt of gratitude for
I would call it a successful evening, we listened and we learned from the music community. We now know what they want, what their concerns are and what they expect from us. We will take their ideas on the design and share them with the architect and incorporate as many of them as possible with-in our budget. We will take their operational thoughts and fold many of them into our programming. This is a monumental project and it’s going to take the support of the music community and public to take it happen. Are we going to have 7,500 people at the Levitt Pavilion Denver for every show? I think we will eventually but not immediately. This is an exercise in building a community not an audience and that requires buy-in from everyone. We had a fantastic start last night and now the hard work begins. As a take away we need participation and advocacy if we get a high level of both the Levitt will be incredibly successful and the local music community will be the recipient of that success. CMB: If someone is looking to volunteer, where should they look for more info? CZ: If someone is looking to volunteer please email us at info@levittdenver.com. We need your help to make this happen. Virgil Dickerson founded Suburban Home Records in 1995. He currently serves as the Marketing Director of Illegal Pete’s, and is the founder of the Greater Than Collective. CMB: What is your role with the Levitt Pavilion? VD: As I’m brand new to the board, I’m still learning what is expected of me. I’ve been assigned to the group titled, “Partiers”. I’m thinking I will have a lot to contribute in that category! I feel that with most of the board members, the experience the diverse list of professionals bring to the Levitt will help shape it into a fantastic venue that works well with its community.
December 2014 | ColoradoMusicBuzz.com
CMB: In your opinion, what is the biggest benefit the pavilion will provide to the Denver music scene, and to the public? VD: There are many facets to what Levitt will contribute to our local music scene and to our surrounding community. Chris Zacher and Levitt are committed to providing a respectful and comfortable environment for local acts while also being mindful of paying those acts good pay. The ommitment to free shows will help both the music scene and expose the community to see acts that they might not normally see. The exciting part of this exposure will help build the local music scene and inspire a new generation of music fans. CMB: What will be some of the biggest challenges facing the Pavilion’s success in what some consider to be a market already over saturated with venues, most of whom are run by corporate giants like AEG and Live Nation? VD: The biggest challenge is how competitive of a music landscape we have in Denver. It’s competitive when it comes to talent buying with Live Nation, AEG, Soda Jerk, and others competing for the same acts, but its even more competitive when you look at it in the perspective of fans. A few weeks back, I went to 3 different concerts on a Monday night; luckily, I was on the guest list for all 3 shows, but on any given night there are a half dozen options and we can’t possibly go to all the shows. CMB: What was your take on the forum at the Oriental? Was is successful, and why? VD: I thought the forum was great. I’ve never heard of a venue engaging their music community to shape the future of the venue. I heard lots of great suggestions and I think the questions that came through will help bring full transparency to the Levitt and the music scene that will support it. Plus it was nice to see so many music industry, musicians, and fans all in one room for a common goal!
The current pavilion at Ruby Hill Park.
pride and ownership in is the greatest benefit. This Levitt also aligns greatly with some of the community feedback we received for Denver’s cultural plan, IMAGINE 2020 around:
biggest challenges facing the Pavilion’s success in what some consider to be a market already over saturated with venues, most of whom are run by corporate giants like AEG and Live Nation?
-Accessibility; that arts, culture and creativity are truly inclusive and accessible for all and can serve as both a social equalizer and a mode for authentic expression.
LG: There is plenty of room for an outdoor space like this with a cause to connect people socially and creatively through free programming. The (fun) challenge will be in curating programs that encompasses the breadth of our local talent combined with national and international performers. I’d love to see Levitt embrace other creatives in dance, film, theater, comedy, etc.
-Local talent; that Denver’s diverse, artistic and creative professionals are locally cultivated and flourishing, celebrated and supported. CMB: What will be some of the
successful, and why? LG: The forum was a great start to introducing Levitt to some of our local creatives and hearing what they think would make a strong performance space from both performer and audience perspectives. This type of dialog was one of many ways we will continue to garner ideas from the community and find our voice together. Find more information on Levitt Pavilion Denver at levittdenver.org.
CMB: What was your take on the forum at the Oriental? Was is
Lisa Gedgaudas is the Program Administrator at Create Denver and a member of the Levitt Pavilion Denver Board of Directors. CMB: What is your role with the Levitt Pavilion? LG: Ex-ifficio Board Member on Behalf of Denver Arts & Venues, and supporter! CMB: In your opinion, what is the biggest benefit the pavilion will provide to the Denver music scene, and to the public? LG: It’s very exciting to think about creating an outdoor performance pavilion in the heart of one of our best public parks for this community – we are ready for it. Providing a ‘space for all’ to not only enjoy, participate and perform - but something that will empower the community to take
Artist’s rendering of the planned project (left and above)
December 2014 | ColoradoMusicBuzz.com
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