Hanging with The Battleship Agenda

 bands, profiles  No Responses »
Jan 212010
 

Photo: Tara Chacon

This is a supplementary post to my article on Examiner.com.

Given the band name, the title of this post sounds a little ironic. :) Planning an attack with The Battleship Agenda? In the “war room” with The Battleship Agenda?  Those sound a bit more apropos.  But hanging with them?  Doesn’t really fit.
 
But when the band sat down with me recently to talk about their journey and the successes they’ve had since starting a mere 8 months ago, it didn’t feel anything like a battleship, or an agenda.  It felt like hanging out.  In fact, when I asked them where the band name came from, all they would do is crack jokes.  “If we tell you, we have to kill you,” said Kat Barnes, the band’s lead singer. [laughter]
 
“I had nothing to do with it,” said Chris Brinson the drummer, who apparently came on board after the name was already chosen. [more laughter]
 
“So, okay, you don’t want to tell me,” I said.
 
“It isn’t that we don’t want to tell you–it’s that we’re not legally allowed to tell you.” [more laughter]  I never did find out how the band got their name.
 
The thing is, the impression I got when talking to them and asking them questions was that this is a band that puts a lot of value on relationships.  The current band formed out of several pre-existing friendships, and it’s apparent from their banter and conversations that they enjoy…well…hanging together.  And in the course of our conversation, it was also apparent that the band considers the friendships they’ve made to be one of the greatest payoffs of the journey so far.
 
“I’ve made more friends [being] in this band than with any other one,” says guitarist Nick Ferro.
 
“We love it when we get to hang out with people,” said Tyler.
 
That said…The Battleship Agenda really does have an agenda.  Part of why they’ve gained so much attention in less than a year out in public is that they’ve thought like professionals, planned out their steps and done things strategically to make their efforts count.
 
As to the “battleship” part…well…that makes more sense when you listen to their music or see them play a show. :)
 
Speaking of that…if you’re here in Denver, you can see them play a show this weekend, if you like.  They’re on the bill with The Northern Way at the Marquis Theater, 2009 Larimer Street in downtown Denver. Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door; show starts at 7:00 PM.
 
You can also pick up The Battleship Agenda’s EP on iTunes.

 

The Battleship Agenda is:
Kat Barnes, vocals
Nick Ferro, guitar
Tyler Call, guitar
Kellen Niemeier, bass
Chris Brinson, drums

 

Buy The Battleship Agenda’s music on The Battleship Agenda

John Common and Blinding Flashes of Light

 bands, concert reviews, great experiences  No Responses »
Jan 182010
 

(This post is supplemental to my article on Examiner.com.)

I admit I’m a bit of a skeptic.  When I hear or see a lot of buildup or hype over something, I usually get a little put off, because too many times the “something” doesn’t measure up to the hype.  I figure if you have to work that hard to tell everyone how good something is, it probably isn’t.  So when I started seeing the high-quality posters and handbills for the huge upcoming CD-release party (and film festival??) for John Common and Blinding Flashes of Light; then saw the articles in Westword; then heard about it on the radio–I thought I’d better check it out, but I was prepared for it to be less than it was cracked up to be.

Thankfully, the event measured up this time.

When I walked into Casselman’s Bar and Venue Saturday night for the event, I was handed a CD of the new release, and a complementary first drink.  These guys had everything prepared. They knew that fans would be there, critics, bloggers and the like, waiting to be impressed. There are many blogs and review sites these days, for everything from music to o2 UK Priority reviews. If you can score some good reviews on popular sites, that means there’s a good chance you can gain more listeners, and, potentially, fans. Tables and chairs were set up lounge-fashion, the stage was set, and fog machines were creating “atmosphere.” A huge video screen was running slides. And the display table to the side held a box art exhibit from local artists who drew their inspiration from the record. The video screen, I was soon to discover, was for the “film festival”–four short films by local filmmakers, again themed on songs from the CD, selected from fifteen participants, and shown between acts. The whole evening was literally set up as a party as well as a concert, celebrating the creativity of local artists, all the while turning attention to the CD in a variety of ways.

It was extremely well-planned and creatively designed, and presented in a highly professional manner.  I must admit I was impressed.  But never having heard John Common before, I wondered: would the band measure up to all the buildup?

The event wasn’t without its snafus. (Few events are.) Actually, the night’s biggest weakness actually had nothing to do with the artists or bands, or even the planning.  The second act, Achille Lauro, was obviously a good band, but was plagued with sound problems where most of the room could not hear the vocalists sing or speak, and thus they could not hold the room’s attention.  By the time they finished, the room was restless and the party was drifting. I began to wonder if this highly-pumped event was going to turn out mediocre, like all the others that have admittedly made me a skeptic.

When John Common and Blinding Flashes of Light finally took the stage, my doubts faded away.  By the third song, I was a fan.  By the fifth song, I wanted to join the band.

It was definitely a risky undertaking all around. Beautiful Empty is apparently quite a step toward “down-tempo” from John Common’s previous work; it’s acoustic, reflective, even melencholy.  In addition, the band itself contained two violins, two cellos, a keyboard/organ/glockenspiel player, a drummer, bass player and female “background” vocalist (actually she sang more as a duet with John Common and is strong enough to solo on her own).  And John played piano and acoustic guitar (not at the same time). Quite a lineup–and again, risky, because it takes a lot to get that many band members to play well together.

But the music was very nearly flawless–great sound, great arrangements, great vocals, great musicianship.  The fact that the songs were more reflective did not take away from the power and passion of the performance.  It was one of those “good for the soul” music moments for me.

Bottom line: John Common and Blinding Flashes of Light were every bit at the level of excellence that their event promotion suggested they would be.  And their new CD is definitely worth a listen.

Wide Open World: John Common & BFL
Love is a Shark: John Common & BFL

Evolving: HighRaceVine Debuts at the D-Note

 bands, music in general  No Responses »
Jan 132010
 

HighRaceVine at the D-Note. Photo: Shelby McQuilkin.

I’ve observed two schools of thought when it comes to band debuts. On one hand, several bands I’ve talked to deliberately refrained from “going public” until they had played together for months and maybe even made a record first.  Then on the other side, there are bands who choose to evolve publicly, being willing to step out there and play gigs during their formative phase, letting the experience shape them.

I’d place Jay Ryan and his new band, HighRaceVine, into the second category.

Jay, you might recall, hosts the weekly open stage at the D-Note in Olde Town Arvada.  He’s all about encouraging people to get up on stage and explore the possibilities. Indeed, the three talented musicians who make up HighRaceVine really had their origins jamming on the open stage, experimenting together.  They discovered that a classic blues-rock guitar, a bass guitar and a cello played like a rock-and-roll instrument just might put a new spin on the whole rock sound thing.  They decided to try it.

Tuesday night, in home territory at the D-Note, the fledgling band had its inaugural concert. They did lots of cover tunes, covering rock-and-roll from The Beatles to Kings of Leon, threw in a couple of originals, and even wrote a song on the spot using the “random song generator”–asking the audience for random information and forming a chord sequence out of it.

Was it rough? Sure, it was rough, at least in spots. But remember, this is a band from “school number 2”.  All three musicians are skilled veterans who know when something sounds good, and when it’s rough.  (“The more you drink, the better we sound,” Jay quipped.) They weren’t there to knock it out of the park on the first swing; they were there to grow together, to evolve, and they’re letting us in on the process.  It actually takes a level of self-awareness and humility to join school number 2, if you think about it.

And you know what?  There were some really awesome moments, also.  We liked the cover tunes, because they showed us that these three instruments really do put a twist on rock-and-roll, without sounding cheesy. We heard some of the cool sounds that made these musicians want to start this band in the first place.  We watched three friends who really enjoy playing together, having a good time with the music–and it made us have a good time, too.

And isn’t that what it’s about?

So welcome to the Denver music scene, HighRaceVine. We look forward to watching the evolution.

Want Some Free Music? Download The Heyday

 General, news items  No Responses »
Jan 112010
 

Photo: Adam Elmakias

Denver local band The Heyday, a pop-rock band who was recently voted into the Hometown for the Holidays Top 3, is making their entire full length, self-titled album available to the public as a free download for the month of January.

For more info about The Heyday, read my profile of the band on Examiner.com.

The Heyday: Turn Me Around
The Heyday: Come In or Stay Out

See, Maybe Now You’ll Believe Me

 bands, people to watch  1 Response »
Jan 102010
 

Check out this article from Westword:

http://www.westword.com/2010-01-07/music/presenting-a-half-dozen-acts-worth-keeping-an-eye-on-in-2010/

I’ll cut to the chase: of the six Denver bands mentioned in this article, two of them I had picked two months ago as bands with promise. Snake Rattle Rattle Snake is one. The other, and the one I want to focus on at the moment, is Churchill, whom I specifically wrote about here and here as a band worth watching. Just newly formed this past year, Churchill was voted into the Hometown for the Holidays Top 3 local bands–right alongside two other veteran bands who have been in the Top 3 before. (I’ll be interviewing them about this sometime soon.)

Apparently I’m not the only one who thinks this band is worth watching.

This past Friday, Churchill played in a four-band lineup at the D-Note, not too far from where I live; so I went to followup and see for myself how they are progressing. To say I was pleased is an understatement. They’re still finding their “stage legs”, but they’ve grown more comfortable onstage, they’ve tightened their vocals, and they’re writing great new material. A fully enjoyable set of folk-rock with a bit of newgrass thrown in. It’s still hard to describe them, harder still to describe their appeal; but trust me, the appeal is there. It’s that intangible sense of sound, flavor and personality that just grabs you and makes you want to hear more. It’s music that stirs the soul.

Some might think it’s way too early in the game to call it, but I’m willing to go out on a limb. I’m telling you, keep an eye on this band. Whatever “it” is, they’ve got it. Churchill is still developing, but if they stay on course, they’re on a trajectory that’s going to take them all the way to the top.

There you have it. There’s my prediction.

OOMPH Scale: 9.5

Interview: DB and the Catastrophe

 bands  No Responses »
Jan 082010
 

This post is supplementary material to my article on Examiner.com.
One year ago today, guitarist Dylan Busby’s solo project morphed into Ft. Collins band DB and the Catastrophe. With a diverse sound fluctuating between pop-punk and ska, the band’s contagious enthusiasm recently garnered them a Top 12 slot by voter-listeners in Channel 93.3’s Hometown for the Holidays contest.

This week, DB took a few minutes to answer some questions.

OOMPH: How did DB and the Catastrophe form? How long have you been a band?

DB: Well the band started out as I (DB) was trying to start a solo project. I was piecing together a band of a bunch of awesome musicians. While in the process of doing this I realized I surrounded myself with people whom I have tons of fun with and feed off of while making music, and that is when we decided to just turn it into a band. On our gig on the 8th of January we will officially be a band for one year. It has been only a short while, but it has gone by wicked fast, and we have done so much! We also hope to bring even more out to the people over the course of the years to come.

OOMPH: Who would you consider to be your greatest inspirations or influences as a band?

DB: Wow, we have a lot of different pulls. For our punk side, we pull from bands like Anti-Flag, Bad Religion, The Clash, Green Day, NOFX, The Offspring, Operation Ivy, Pennywise, Rise Against, Social Distortion, and Sum 41, just to name a few. For some ska stuff we look to bands like Big D and the Kids Table, Goldfinger, Less Than Jake, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, and Reel Big Fish. From there we are have our personal favorites, like 311, John Lennon, Johnny Cash, Nirvana, Pennywise, and Thomas Lang.

OOMPH: Making the Hometown for the Holidays Top 12 is quite an achievement. What good things have happened with the band to help you get to that point?

DB: The things that got us here are great opportunities and tons of work. Since we aren’t very old as a band, it took tons of work to get where we are. We always have to stay on top of emailing people, trying to book gigs, and getting the word out about us. Usually when all of your work seems for nothing something pulls through. Like a radio DJ finally checked you out and really digs you so they play your song and come to your gig. Or some one wants to do an article on you or a review. Also the time we played at the Hard Rock Café that was a big boost. Honestly, though, I think the best tool to achievement in this business is the fans. If you can reach some one and get them to talk about you to their friends, you just pulled in ten more people.

OOMPH: What does the songwriting process look like for you and the band? How do song ideas happen for you?

DB: First DB comes up with a riff. Then it either goes two ways: we either collaborate, or DB sits in his basement and gets a good base for the song, and then we collaborate. Sometimes we completely morph a song from what it was originally, or sometimes we just throw on another guitar part and let it be simple. Ideas usually come for a song when something happens in one of the band members’ lives, something happens in the world, or DB reads about something or sees something. Then was the motivation is found DB writes about it.

OOMPH: What role has the Internet played in your success as a band?

The Internet is a huge tool, especially for being a small indie band. It allows us to get in touch with our fans easily. It helps us communicate with other people in the industry too. Most of all it helps us get to more people!

OOMPH: What does 2010 look like for you? What projects are in the works?

2010 is going to be a very busy year for DB and the Catastrophe. We can’t even begin to think about how many things we are getting our hands into. We are looking at some festivals over the summer, and we are pretty confident that there is an EP/LP in our near future.

You can catch DB and the Catastrophe live tonight, January 8, 2010, at the Marquis Theater in downtown Denver, on 2009 Larimer St. Show starts at 7:30 PM, and tickets are $8.

Stage Presence Do’s and Don’ts

 tips and advice  2 Responses »
Jan 052010
 

Among the several thousand hundred several vistors to this blog each week, I know there are some musicians that stop by here, as well as music fans. I know this in part because when I write a profile about a band or artist, I usually send them a link; and in part because bands sometimes contact me about a gig they’re doing or music they’re releasing. One band about whom I gave a negative review even found my piece online and emailed me a humble and gracious reply.

As I’ve said before, the reason I say anything, positive or negative, is because I’m pulling for the band or artist I’m talking about and want them to do well.

Anyhow, in watching a lot of bands and even folks on the open stage, I see a lot of stage-presence no-no’s–things that throw a blanket over an otherwise pretty-good set of music. So if you’re a musician thinking about hitting the local scene (wherever you are), here are some do’s and don’ts I think might be helpful:

  • Don’t…tell the audience what each song is about before you sing it. Songwriters are notorious for this, because their songs are their “babies” and they often feel they must introduce them. Occasional in-between-tune banter between is okay, but when you tell the story behind every song, you insult the audience’s intelligence (as though they can’t figure out what it’s about by listening to it). Besides–they aren’t there to hear you talk, but to hear you sing. And if your songs always require that much explanation, you’re sending a message that the songs aren’t good enough to stand on their own. Just sing the friggin’ song, and let the audience decide.
  • Don’t…talk about your “dream.” Just stay away from the word “dream” when you’re onstage. Why? Because these people aren’t your family in your living room; they are the public who have no vested interest in your dream. Artists who get onstage (or on camera, for you American Idol wanna-bes) and rattle on about their dream and how much it means to them to perform, blah, blah, blah…it comes off as sheer desperation, not confidence. It’s a turn-off, and instantly labels you as a charity case. If your dream is to perform onstage in front of an audience, then dangit, don’t waste the audience’s time talking onstage about your dream; LIVE your dream. Sing!
  • Don’t…act like you are bigger stuff than you are. I know there’s a school of thought that arrogance gets attention, but where I went to school, it’s a big turnoff. Perform the heck out of the song, but don’t pretend you’re a rock god(dess) and that everyone there was just dying to see you perform. These aren’t the peasant folk come to adore you; these are hard-working people who might buy your record someday if you earn their respect. Don’t be shy and self-deprecating, either; confidence is cool. Just respect the fact that your audience can spot a phony a mile away. Be who you are, and don’t be what you aren’t. And again…just let your talent stand on its own. People will see it without you flaunting it all over the place.
  • Don’t…keep asking the audience how they are doing tonight. Ask us once if you want to, but sking it over and over makes you look like you don’t know what to say next. We’re doing fine, thanks. Get to the next song, so we can dance.

On the other hand…

  • Do…be prepared. Memorize your songs, and write down your setlist (because you will forget at some point). Don’t fly by the seat of your pants and expect to coast on your pure Mozart talent. People appreciate natural ability, but they respect you when you care enough about your own talent to work on the details.
  • Do…work on transitions. The most awkward moments of a set are between songs (which is why artists make the mistake of asking the audience 20 times how they are doing tonight–and we’re fine, thank you). Keep the set list in front of you, and if possible, practice through the set list before you go live. If you need to stop and re-tune, have something already in your head to say to the crowd (besides asking how they are). Keep things moving as smoothly as possible, and get to the next song as soon as you can.
  • Do…connect with the audience. A writer friend told me today that writers too often write for themselves instead of for their intended audience; I think the same is true for musicians. Too many artists get lost in their own songs and forget the audience is there. You sing for yourself in the shower; onstage, you sing for the people who came to hear you (and maybe paid money to hear you). You’re the one on the platform, but guess what? It’s actually not about you; it’s about them. Make eye contact; engage the people. Communicate with your song. Be genuinely appreciative of your fans. If you’re losing their interest, change things up to bring them back around. It’s only okay to lose yourself in the song if you can draw the audience into that moment with you–and times like those can be pure magic, by the way.

There’s a word I’ve used several times in this post that shouldn’t be missed: respect. This is a huge word to remember, on many fronts. You need to respect your audience, who are taking their time (and possibly spending their money) to see you. You need to respect your gift enough to hone it and polish it. And you will go farther and gain momentum–not just onstage, but over time–if you gain the respect of your audience, not just covet their praise. Respect them, and they’ll respect you. Pure, raw talent might get you to turn a few heads; but earning respect wins you loyal fans for life.

Vices I Admire at the Bluebird Theater Tonight

 bands, upcoming events  No Responses »
Jan 012010
 

Happy New Year, everyone…

Local Denver band Vices I Admire, an alternative indie band recently voted into the Top 12 Bands for Channel 93.3’s Hometown for the Holidays, is headlining a concert tonight at the Bluebird Theater to celebrate the release of their sophomore CD release, The Politics of Apathy.
Concert starts at 8:00 pm, ages 16+. Tickets are $10 at the door, but if you present a ticket pre-printed from their website http://www.vicesiadmire.com/, admission is $5.

Drummer Mark Towne was kind enough to have coffee with me to talk about the band and their CD release and overall direction. The thing that impressed me most was their work ethic and dedication to make the band a success. They treat it like a business, to say the least–practicing five nights a week, doing their own promotion and publicity. Very professional, if you ask me.

And their music isn’t half bad, either. :)

These guys are worth a listen. Go check them out tonight, if you get a chance, and see what you think.

Vices I Admire: “Kiss Kiss”
Vices I Admire: “Sweetest Girl”