For those out of the loop (myself included, prior to a brush-up via press release and some idle internet perusing), Locust originally left its mark in the nineties as the ambient solo venture of London’s Mark Van Hoen. Listening to the digital musician’s output from that period reveals calculated electronic soundscapes with a collective beating… Continue reading Locust | You'll Be Safe Forever | Review
North Carolina’s Steep Canyon Rangers have been picking quality bluegrass since their formation in the early 2000s, but it took a little while for their well-deserved recognition and success to begin snowballing. Sure it helped in 2009 when comedian first and banjoist second Steve Martin recruited the gang as his touring support (really Martin supported… Continue reading Steep Canyon Rangers w/Jeff Sipe | Boulder, CO | 3/9/13 | Review
One can say that Sarah Petrella‘s path to the release of her debut EP started from the moment she was born. She wrote her first song before the age of 10, and went on to immerse herself in musical theatre. Now, Sarah brings her lifelong passion for songwriting to the world via a three song… Continue reading Sarah Petrella | 'Summer' | Review
The daunting task of interpreting the music of Frank Zappa has made the iconized jazz-fusion composer/musician less often a cover project than one might expect. The legions of hardcore Zappa nerds have gotten their fix through acts such as Zappa Plays Zappa and The Grandmothers of Invention, both featuring original members of Zappa‘s bands that… Continue reading Corbus Plays Zappa @ Dazzle Restaurant & Lounge | 3/7/13 | Review
The Mishawaka Amphitheater is certainly well known for its intimate location located 30 minutes up the Poudre Canyon. In such a scenic area, it’s no surprise the success of this venue. The Mish consistently puts on quality shows from local bands to national touring acts. A night with Good Gravy headlining just feels natural at… Continue reading Good Gravy! & Frogs Gone Fishin' | SpokesBuzz Lounge | Review
The contemporary musical universe of Mickey Hart is perfectly aligned with the cosmos. Never has his theological approach to music or pursuit of combining music sensibilities across the globe been so relevant. From the beginnings he sought out further bounds than his primary project, the American rock institution, The Grateful Dead. His evolving contributions to… Continue reading Mickey Hart Band | Fox Theater | Boulder, CO | 2/28/13 | Review
Good Panamanian acid-jazz-fusion by way of Kansas City can be hard to come by these days. Well, at least there’s Making Movies.On the whole, the prog-Latino quartet’s self-released second album, A La Deriva, is strange South American psychedelia; in moments, it’s overwhelming or simple, radical or routine. Consistent? No. But there’s something distinctive enough about… Continue reading Making Movies: A La Deriva | New Music Review
A near-fatal car accident would set most bands back months, maybe years. Arizona-based trio decker. pulled through the experience and released their fourth album just six months later. The gritty folk-rock band is led by Brandon Decker, whose first album, Long Days, debuted in 2009. Four albums in four years may seem like a lot,… Continue reading decker. | 'Slider' | Review
The Ringers, featuring Keith Carlock (drums), Jimmy Herring (guitar), Wayne Krantz (guitar), Michael Landau (guitar) and Etienne MBappe (bass) brought the feelings of lightness and renewal offered by Mother Nature each spring a bit early with what could be called A Midwinter’s Couple Night’s Dream Tour. The tour featured two performances in central North Carolina… Continue reading The Ringers with Jimmy Herring | Raleigh, NC | 2/21/2013 | Review
Do you believe in augurs? As a bookworm and English teacher, I always look for them in literature and instruct my students to do the same. Omens of good things to come and harbingers of impending doom are common tropes in fiction. But the portents woven into those narratives are intentional and premeditated – mechanisms… Continue reading Furthur | 1st Bank Center | Broomfield, CO | 2/23/2013 | Review
