Fire Mountain’s “Black Heart”

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Aug 212012
 

This one falls under the category of I-don’t-know-why-more-people-don’t-know-this-band. (It also falls under the category of I-should-have-known-about-them-sooner.)

Anyhow, a few months ago, Alabama-based indie-folk band Fire Mountain shared their EP Of the Dust with me, and alas, amid tackling the learning curve of a huge new writing project, it didn’t get listened to before now. I’m so glad they didn’t fall through the cracks.

“Black Heart,” the opening track of the EP, captured me with the first few notes, and kept my attention throughout with its haunting melody and lyricism. The rest of the record is also worth a listen. Fire Mountain has a sound that is simple yet captivating, and frontman Perry Brown’s slightly raspy voice fills things in nicely. Brown is a gifted songwriter with something to say.

The video for “Black Heart” (also very well done) is embedded below. If you like what you see/hear, the band is currently offering the EP on their Bandcamp page on a “name your price” basis.

Fire Mountain – Black Heart from Fire Mountain on Vimeo.

Colorado Songwriters Circle at Swallow Hill: Review

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Aug 212012
 

I’m beginning to realize that the “songwriters circle” format is one of my personal favorites when it comes to live shows. When you have an intimate setting in which a group of singer/songwriters share their songs in turn, it offers a window into the souls of the artists that doesn’t always show up when someone is just “playing a show.” It can also breed a strong sense of connection among the artists themselves, as well as with the audience. I could keep analyzing the crap out of it, but let’s just say songwriters circles move and inspire me probably more than any other kind of show.

The latest installment of the Colorado Songwriters Circle was held last Friday at Swallow Hill, an established Denver music institution and venue that celebrates roots music through concerts and classes. One of the songwriters (John Common) I know and count as a friend; the other three (Matthew Moon, Nina Story and Melissa Ivey) I recognized as part of the Denver scene, but had not yet had the privilege of hearing. But hearing four of Denver’s finest songwriters sharing their songs on stage (and sharing the stories behind their songs) felt like a privilege in itself. They are four very different artists, with different styles, but the diversity among them worked exceptionally well on the stage.

And each one of them knocked it out of the park.

No kidding. I laughed. I cried. (Quietly. Only a little.) I laughed. And I enjoyed. Every. Moment. From Melissa Ivey’s self-proclaimed “gypsy rock” vibe, to Matthew Moon’s stunning performance on a lap steel, to John Common’s self-deprecating comedic timing, to Nina Storey singing in French.

Oh. And the songs they wrote were pretty awesome, too. Some older “fan favorites” and a lot of freshly written material, also. Well, crafted, and well-performed, all in a relaxed setting that made us feel almost like we were sitting in someone’s living room. With a lot of instruments.

The evening was further enhanced by Denver “live artist” Laurie Maves, who created a painting of the artists live as they performed during the first half of the show. During the midpoint, the painting was auctioned off to benefit the Children’s Hospital.

On the whole, this songwriters circle at Swallow Hill embodied all the reasons why I love to go to shows: great music, terrific performances, and overall good entertainment. But mostly, good songs. As a songwriter myself, I know I’ve heard a good songwriter when I come away inspired to write. Friday night, I was inspired times four. All of these Colorado artists are worth checking out, listening to, and buying their music.

UMS Diaries 2012–Day Four

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Jul 232012
 

Nathaniel Rateliff

*Sigh* I love the Denver music scene.

The Underground Music Showcase 2012 is officially a wrap, and lots of bands, artists and music fans now have that satisfied-but-exhausted feeling that comes at the end of every one of these things. Here’s a quick recap of some things seen and heard on Day Four.

One thing I love about the UMS is finding little “hidden treasures”–great music from artists that are just emerging or that aren’t that well-known as of yet. While great acts like Paper Bird and Nathaniel Rateliff (pictured left) were drawing crowds to the main stage, lots of great music was happening in front of smaller crowds in venues all up and down Broadway.

 

The first pleasant surprise I found was Stephanie Dorman, a newbie to the Denver music scene who played a solo set at The Hornet. I went on the recommendation of one of the members of Churchill, and I’m glad I went. Stephanie has a current voice and a great songwriting style. I look forward to hearing more from this one.

Stephanie Dorman

A bit later in the evening, singer/songwriter Kyle James Houser played a great solo set at Delite. He played an electric banjo, something you don’t see every day. The people outside on the street liked it, too.

Kyle James Houser

Another cool moment was watching Rachel and the Kings’ Denver debut on the main stage. This band consists of several Colorado music scene veterans, including Rachel James and members of the now-defunct (sort of) Tickle Me Pink, and recently beat out hundreds of other bands to win the Ford “Gimme the Gig” band competition. Their set showed us why. While still quite unknown in the Denver area under this moniker, R.a.t. Kings played some great music for the sparse but growing crowd, and excitement built for the band throughout the set.

Rachel and the Kings

Glowing House is another up-and-coming Denver act with a promising future. (I profiled their recent album here.) During their set at South Broadway Christian Church, they joked good-naturedly about their unfortunate time slot, playing at the same time as veteran indie-folk artist Nathaniel Rateliff, who indeed packed out the main stage area. However, those who sat in on the Glowing House performance got to experience a great set of music. (I would have included a picture, but the lighting was too dim by that time for my little point-and-shoot without flash.)

Other high points of the day included rocking sets at the Skylark Lounge by Megan Burtt and Jen Korte and the Loss, plus Dan Craig and The Centennial at the Irish Rover. Another great moment was when Science Partner’s jam session at Delite wafted into the streets and drew a large crowd to the open window to see, even while there was standing room only indoors.

Megan Burtt

Jen Korte and the Loss

I’ve had the privilege of attending the Underground Music Showcase for the past three years; this was the best one so far. It felt as though everyone stepped up their game, from the novices to veterans, and gave their all for the music fans.

Have I mentioned I love the Denver music scene?

UMS Diaries 2012–Day Three

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Jul 222012
 

I have to be honest: between a hectic schedule involving more than just the UMS and overall exhaustion, I went home a bit early from the Underground Music Showcase on Saturday in order to save my strength for Sunday. :) However, I did manage to catch a few cool shows in the time I was there, including separate acoustic sets by Churchill’s Tim Bruns and Bethany Kelly at The Hornet (with an acoustic set by The Heyday sandwiched in between them).

(Forgive the quality of the pics–point-and-shoot on the fly.) :)

Bethany Kelly

I also stopped by The Irish Rover to catch a few minutes of Americana/country artist Patrick Dethlefs, and was duly impressed. I’m gonna have to make plans to hear more of this guy.

Patrick Dethlefs

Evening on the main stage was dominated by touring noise-rockers A Place to Bury Strangers and local act Snake Rattle Rattle Snake, both of whom drew large crowds, and both of whom did justice to their sets.

A Place to Bury Strangers

Off the beaten path of UMS are several “unofficial” house shows that go on now and again. I stopped by for a few minutes at the home of Nate Meese (dubbed “The Banana Stand”) to catch glimpses of In the Whale, The Centennial and Churchill.

The Centennial

Before heading home, I stopped into South Broadway Christian Church (along with a lot of other people) to see cellist Ian Cooke’s solo performance. If you haven’t heard him play, you haven’t fully experienced the Denver music scene. There’s a reason he draws crowds.

Tonight wraps up the UMS, and on the hot list tonight for me: Nathaniel Rateliff, Megan Burtt, In the Whale, Glowing House, The Centennial, and Rachel and the Kings, among others.

UMS Diaries 2012–Day Two

 special events  1 Response »
Jul 212012
 

As expected, Friday night at the Underground Music Showcase saw growing crowds as things began to get into full swing. While the Main Stage opened up with acts like Mancub, Signal Path and Big Freedia & the Divas, the numerous other venues up and down Broadway saw some great shows, including late performances by The Photo Atlas and The Epilogues at the Hi-Dive, and Churchill at 3 Kings Tavern. Here are just a few personal highlights from Day Two.

I showed up early (by “early” I mean 6pm) to Gary Lee’s Motor Pub & Grub to catch former Meese (and current Centennial) guitarist Nate Meese do a mellow set of songs under his solo moniker Lips & Teeth. Churchill’s Bethany Kelly stepped up to help with vocals on a couple of the tunes. A great way to start the evening.

Thanks to my trusty scooter (lessons learned from the last two UMS festivals), I spent the seven-o’clock hour making the rounds down Broadway to catch a few minutes each of Swing Hero at Moe’s BBQ, Roniit at Compound Basix, and Signal Path on the Main Stage–I liked all of them.

The Raven and the Writing Desk took over South Broadway Christian Church a few minutes after 8pm, and a near-capacity crowd piled into the church to hear them play. I mentioned in the preview piece that this band sounds really good in live acoustic environments, and this set was even better than last year’s. As an added flash of creativity, they projected their video backdrop against the array of organ pipes, turning it into a makeshift screen. Very effective.

Next up at South Broadway Christian was indie rock outfit FaceMan; they started about 20 minutes late due in part to technical difficulties, but they were the final act on the stage that evening, and the crowd didn’t seem to mind. They turned in a powerful performance that was well worth the wait.

I finished up my rounds with an 11pm show at Moe’s BBQ with John Common & Blinding Flashes of Light–a great way to end the evening. I’m always struck not just by John’s songwriting, but by the impeccable musicianship of the band–and tonight was no exception. In fact, John played the whole set on electric guitar, which added a fresh vibe to his material–and keyboardist Jon Wirtz wowed the crowd multiple times with incredible solos on the Fender Rhodes.

Tonight I’m a little torn, because on more than one occasion I’ll have to be in two places at once to catch bands I want to see. Oh, well, it comes with the territory. On the short list are Varlet, Snake Rattle Rattle Snake, The Swayback, Patrick Dehthlefs, Kentucky Street Parlour Pickers and Jessica Sonner…

UMS Diaries 2012–Day One

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Jul 202012
 

If day one is any indication, this year’s Underground Music Showcase is on track to be the best attended yet, and possibly the best one overall.

I’ve been to several of these things, and in my experience, opening night of the UMS is generally slow as things are just getting started and people are just starting to trickle into the event. But last night, it felt as though everything was already in full swing, even without the main outdoor stages active (which will open tonight), with numerous shows filled almost to capacity. (Not bad considering the current heat wave.) Likewise, the bands I saw all seemed to be energized and on their game. A lot of great music for opening night. Here is just a sampling of things seen and heard at Day One of UMS 2012.

Indie rock band Wire Faces kicked things off at 3 Kings Tavern with a high-energy set of music. This interesting 3-piece band has a sound that somehow seems bigger than the sum of its parts, with Shane Zweigardt leading center stage from the drums. Very solid.  Meanwhile, a couple of doors down at the Irish Rover, there was standing room only for the set of indie-folk band Fairchildren, who plays around the area when not backing up Nathaniel Rateliff. (Nathaniel is slated for the main stage Sunday night.)

The Oak Creek Band, a Denver roots/rock band (by way of Arizona), also played a lively set at the Skylark Lounge. It was my first time hearing them play and I was fairly impressed by their sound, which blends elements of rock, soul and even a tinge of country.

I’m taking a quick break to write this as the UMS is already underway tonight (Friday). Must-sees for tonight include The Raven and the Writing Desk and John Common & Blinding Flashes of Light. I’ll let you know.

UMS Preview: Rachel and the Kings

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Jul 182012
 

Photo: Christopher Kuehl

Continuing our preview of Denver locals featured at this year’s Underground Music Showcase (which starts TOMORROW! WOOT!)…

Denver pop/rock songstress Rachel James has been quite busy lately. Since releasing some great new songs last fall (0ne of which made my top picks for 2011), Rachel has launched a new act called Rachel and the Kings, and is preparing to release a new album with the band this fall. Shortly after forming, Rachel and the Kings beat out 700 bands nationwide to win Ford’s 2nd Annual “Gimme the Gig” competition in Los Angeles, California. The prize: a $55,000 video shoot and a track recorded by legendary producer Don Was.

 

Rachel and the Kings will be sharing some of their new material with the Denver crowd at the UMS. You can catch them on the main stage (behind Goodwill) on Sunday evening at 5:00 p.m. (Interestingly, the night before, the band will be featured on the Gimme the Gig special slated for broadcast on KTLA-TV in Los Angeles–but we UMS attendees get to see them live.)

UMS Preview: The Raven and the Writing Desk

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Jul 182012
 

Photo: Adrian/photoroadies.com

As the Denver Post Underground Music Showcase approaches, I’m highlighting a few of my favorite local acts that I think you should come out and see.

 

I first profiled The Raven and the Writing Desk here in January 2011, and their overall sound and vibe has continued to evolve since then. Loosely falling into the category of “indie chamber pop”, their collective sound is actually quite diverse, blending classical and rock elements together into something that sounds much bigger than the band’s six members. Epic, cinematic, literary, the music itself seems to tell a story.

 

I’ve seen this band perform live several times, and my experience is that TRATWD’s sound is enhanced in an acoustically live environment. For that, they’ve been perfectly slotted at South Broadway Christian Church (where they played at last year’s UMS), for Friday, July 20 at 8:00 p.m. Trust me–hearing The Raven and the Writing Desk perform in this room is an experience. You won’t want to miss it.

UMS Preview: Take to the Oars

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Jul 172012
 

Photo: Ron James Photography.

In gearing up for this year’s Underground Music Showcase in Denver, I’ll be previewing a few of my favorite local acts here over the next couple of days.

I first wrote about Take to the Oars here in February 2011, reviewing their album American Volume. Since that time, I’ve seen had the privilege of interviewing a couple of the band mates and have seen them perform numerous times. With Ryan Gombeski vocalizing into that retro-mic of his, and Mike Trujillo’s flailing hair (oh, and his guitar playing, too), this band puts on quite a live show–which prompted me to include them in my list of Bands to Watch in 2012 for Examiner.com.

Take to the Oars has shared the stage with the likes of Sleeper Agent, Rooney, Young the Giant and others. If you’re coming to the UMS (which you should), you can catch TTTO’s set at The Skylark Lounge on Saturday, July 21 at 8:00 p.m. In the meantime, check out their video “Bar Talk” below.

Underground Music Showcase 2012 Preview

 upcoming events  No Responses »
Jul 152012
 

Next weekend, the Baker district of Denver will be flooded with thousands of music fans who have come to see over 350 indie acts perform on over a dozen stages over a 4-day period. The event? The Denver Post Underground Music Showcase, which happens July 19-22.

Hailed by many as Denver’s answer to SXSW, the UMS is the region’s largest summer indie music festival, a healthy blend of touring acts and plenty of great local talent. Among the out-of-town acts on this year’s lineup are Atlas Sound, The Melismatics, A Place To Bury Strangers, Desert Noises, Maudlin, Mrs. Magician and many others. As for the local acts, I’ve covered many of them on this here blog, and will be previewing several of them over the next several days.

If you’re an indie music fan, it’s worth the trip to Denver to come check out some of the best indie acts in the country. Perhaps the best part about the UMS is the price: four-day wristbands are only $40 ($50 on opening day). For all the info, check out the UMS website.

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