MP3 Freeloader: The Fire Drills
Jason Heller is a badass. And I'm not just saying that because he was my amiable sidekick here at the paper for years. Besides being an extremely level-headed, insightful music writer with astounding sensibilities, undeniable depth and gloriously lyrical writing, dude's also an absolutely wicked guitarist. Not the in the shredder sense, rather in the expressive sense. One of my favorite things is watching him lose himself with absolute abandon playing with Red Cloud, particularly on that outfit's rendition of "Cortez the Killer."
Tip Sheet: Young Coyotes
Who: Young Coyotes
Dossier: Zach Tipton formed Young Coyotes with Adam Halferty (the Axe That Chopped the Cherry Tree and the Chain Gang of 1974) after Tipton's previous band, Moros Eros, who was signed to Victory Records, folded this past spring. Formerly based in Marietta, Georgia, Tipton reportedly moved to Denver specifically to work with Halferty, who is moving on from his current stint playing drums live with Chain Gang to focus on Young Coyotes.
Westword Spiral: The Fasano Brothers
On this week's Spiral, the fellas catch up with poet extraordinarie Charly "City Mouse" Fasano and Vincent, his talented illustrator brother, and get a crash course on the taxonomy of a "Chad," find out about Charlie's latest books, Snitches Get Stitches and Taking the Workhorse to the Glue Factory, his collaboration with Love Me Destroyer's Scooter James, and hear music from Vin's band, Fight Spider with Spider.
MP3 Freeloader: Josephine and the Mousepeople
There's no one named Josephine and no anthropomorphic mice in Josephine and the Mousepeople, but don't let that dissuade you. What you do get is two guys -- who go by the names avicado and dannyberry -- who produce chipper, summery electro-pop confections. Their track "She Needs Fire" pairs up buzzy synthesizer tones and a loopy 303-style (as in the ancient Roland bass synth, not the local area code) lead with acoustic guitars and sweet melodies sang in a delicate, almost lilting voice. But don't take my word for it, download it (or stream it) after the jump and see for your self what the buzz on this dynamic duo is all about.
MP3 Freeloader: The Return of Shoot Romeo This Friday at Herman's
Is it just us, or does papa Rupp look younger every year? Seriously. Old Bobbo must've made a deal with the devil or something. Unbelievable, that guy. Him and Prince, forever young, eh? Perhaps his perpetual youthful appearance is spurred by the fact that he's constantly reinventing himself every couple of years. This time around, he and the Shoot Romeo boys are back with a batch of new songs and a brand new singer, Marilyn Taylor from Esovae. The new lineup is due at Herman's Hideaway this Friday June 27, with Horse, Spools of Dark Thread and Shadow Work. After the jump, download (or stream) one of the outfit's new tracks.
MP3 Freeloader: Ours Tonight at the Toad Tavern
There’s a handful of male vocalists in the modern era who possess truly breathtaking voices: Andrea Bochelli, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Luciano Pavoroti immediately come to mind. There are fewer still with that kind of otherworldly talent in the rock arena: Jeff Buckley, Chris Cornell and, some would argue, Thom Yorke. Add Jimmy Gnecco to that short list. The Ours frontman boasts a stunningly, powerful, multi-octave range and a flawless falsetto that merit inclusion in that pantheon. Mercy (Dancing for the Death of an Imaginary Enemy), his band's latest release, issued this past April on the Columbia imprint and produced by Rick Rubin, is the outfit's finest, most cohesive work to date. Standout tracks such as "Run Away to Tell the World" and “Black” exhibit an emotional depth that past efforts seemed to be lacking. Like the searing lens of Muse slicing through the dark, dense pall of HIM, Gnecco plumbs the expanses of gut-wrenching despair -- the kind that swallows you whole and renders you bedridden for days -- with a fiery conviction worthy of Bono. After the jump, download (or stream) an MP3 from the new album and check out a live video.
Westword Spiral Podcast: Mustangs & Madras
On this week's Spiral, the fellas catch up with three-fifths of Mustangs & Madras and find out how the band hooked up with the Latest Flame imprint, how it got screwed over on a pair of ill-fated European tours that fell apart thanks to a flakey band that didn't keep its word and a German booking agent who had a "nervous breakdown."
Download episode seven here, or listen to the stream below.
Q&A with The Last Seen
Formed in 2004, the Last Seen is the culmination of singer and guitarist Jason Hayes’s longtime musical ambitions. Joined by guitarist John Reimers, bassist Ryan Smith and drummer Todd Bills, the group plays a dark and driving brand of melancholic rock. On the eve of the act's CD release party, we caught up with Hayes to talk about the Whole Year Inn and what lies ahead for the group.
Matthew Moon Lands Song on Budweiser's Olympic Promo
All right, hands up: Who's eagerly awaiting the Olympics this August? [cue crickets] Yep. That's about what we figured. For the non-sportos -- and we're figuring that's you, otherwise, you'd be reading the Sports Guy or The Life of Reily right now -- the Olympics are about as riveting as watching the grass grow. Nonetheless, we'll be keeping a keen eye on Budweiser's upcoming promos, particularly since our boy Matthew Moon landed "Don't Change 4 Me," a tune he co-wrote with Danny Wilde from the Rembrandts and Jesse Valenzuela from the Gin Blossoms, on the spots. After the jump, in his charming, inimitable (read: customarily loquacious yet humorous) way, Moon recounts how the whole thing went down.
Q&A with d.biddle
hi-dive photo booth shots shamelessly pilfered from Lisa G's myspace.
d. biddle began as Duncan Barlow’s sad, quiet solo project – a reaction against all the metal and hardcore he’d played for most of his life, with bands like Endpoint, Guilt and By the Grace of God. The original incarnation of d. biddle included Ben Desoto on drums, guitarist Jamie Smith, horn player Erin Roberts of Porlolo and bassist Jeff Davenport.
Today, Barlow and Davenport are all that remain of the original lineup. When Smith departed, bassist Jonathan Till joined, moving Davenport to guitar, and drummer Rob Burleson rounded out the quartet. Rabbit in the Moon, the band’s new album, has been in the making for years, but will emerge on Friday the 13th at the hi-dive as a pensive, poignant and powerful document of the group’s edgier and just plain louder new identity.
We caught up with the whole band and talked about the new record, embracing their louder sound and how they balance membership in other bands. Read the full transcript, download "Laughter" and watch videos of the recording process after the jump.
MP3 Freeloader, Music Showcase Edition: Tito Del Barrio Malaga
TITO DEL BARRIO MALAGA
NOMINATED IN WORLD
Performing 7:15-7:45 DAZZLE
PERSONNEL: Samir El Yesfi; Djordje Vasovic; Kenny Villanueva; M'hammed El Mendra; Zay A. Rios; Ryan Mullin; Steven Contreras
Discography: N/A
Download "Sin Camino" or stream the entire track after the jump.
MP3 Freeloader, Music Showcase Edition: Cat-A-Tac
MP3 Freeloader, Music Showcase Edition: No Plot Kill
NO PLOT KILL
NOMINATED IN PUNK
Performing 3:30-4 PM 1144 BROADWAY
Personnel: David Bartz; David Schmidtline; Ray Hammer
Discography: Evil Prevails When Good Men Fail to Act (2007)
Download "Katherine" or stream the entire track after the jump.
MP3 Freeloader, Music Showcase Edition: Reed Foehl
Photo by John Halpern
REED FOEHL
NOMINATED IN SINGER-SONGWRITER
Performing 4:15-4:45 PM DAZZLE
Personnel: Reed Foehl
Discography: Stoned Beautiful (2007); Spark (2004)
Download "My Sweet Heart" or stream the entire track after the jump.
MP3 Freeloader, Music Showcase Edition: No Fair Fights
NO FAIR FIGHTS
NOMINATED IN METAL/ HARD ROCK
Performing 5:45-6:15 PM 1144 BROADWAY
Personnel: Justin Ray; Collin Sanford; Brian Chambliss; Patrick O'Fallon
Discography: No Fair Fights (EP) (2006)
Download "The Truest Consequence" or stream the entire track after the jump.
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