January 2013

After a backbreaking weekend of live music, I strolled into Shine for a performance by self-professed “quirky folk” band, The Shook Twins. Shine is a glimpse into what Boulder was and in some circumstances still is, and the complete antithesis of the growing corporate model seen along Pearl Street and recently highlighted by the emergence of Wal-Mart.

Is there an average age at which a person can be considered mature enough to be under the lights of a reflector or behind the camera? If it is because they become spoiled, adults entering the scene as such also do the same; if it's because of the level of experience, there are many children and young people who have an equal amount or more than any other adult.

Exploring your emotions can make for a good song, but it’s shining light on those which plague us all that builds the backbone of the truly great ones. Coupled with tireless melodies that seep into the small spaces between your bones; it's the kind of music that brings on little movements when life has gotten too stiff. This is what Caitlin Rose does best.

How many members does a band need to create a good sound? Many may say maybe three or four, while those who are more aware of the music scene today could say that a duo is enough. But the fact is that even one single great musician can create what one group of six people are hardly able to do. However, few are those who can go beyond creating great music to creating something truly special.

Over 90 bands, most of which are en route to SXSW, will fill Savannah’s clubs and venues with the best up and coming acts. Bands have been hand-curated across multiple genres to represent an ideal microcosm of emerging excellence. Highlights include of Montreal, Chelsea Light Moving (featuring Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth), The Whigs, Merchandise, Mac DeMarco, Ducktails, Dent May, Turbo Fruits and dozens more.Savannah is nicknamed “The Hostess City” for good reason.

Over the years we’ve seen rock, pop, and even hard rock slowly erode into over-commercialized, corporate puppet shows providing music that is extremely sing songy, predictable, popish and highly corporate. I hereby call this new breed of music “Poser Rock” and I want to personally thank all the corporate giants for successfully transforming “Sex Drugs & Rock n’ Roll” into “Yoga, Vitamins and Nikelback” Of course millions of musical lemmings don’t know the difference and trust me when I say  not everyone is entertained. Talking to many music fans out there the response is overwhelming.