Brady Parks, vocalist and songwriter of The National Parks, was drawn to folk music by the storytelling aspect of the genre. “There is something about telling a whole life story in a three minute song,” he said in a recent interview with BandWagon Magazine. It’s this love for folk music and conveying himself artistically that eventually led him to form The National Parks in 2013 and there was no turning back.
(hƏd) p.e. is a highly energetic, socio-political, in your face band that brings a sense of familiarity to their listeners. (hƏd) p.e. has shared lineups with bands like Black Sabbath, deftones, System of a Down, Skindred, Primus, Snot, Powerman 5000, Kottonmouth Kings and Tech N9ne just to name a few. Studio albums have been recorded from 1994 to 2016 scattered over four different record labels. The spirit of the band has evoved over the years, but the above-mentioned description stands the test of time. The one common denominator throughout the years has been their frontman Jhared. We caught up with (hƏd) p.e. to gain some more insight.
They’ve been booked before Jay Leno, Bon Jovi, Reel Big Fish and recently the Barenaked Ladies at the Greeley Stampede, and they did it all with only their voice.
Although Fort Collins is often considered a creative hub of music and art, Hip Hop often gets underrepresented in the overall big picture. There are a few sporadic shows with artists like EPMD, Doomtree’s P.O.S. or Zion I, but for the most part, indie rock acts and folk music is more common in the Front Range-area. The Music District aims to change that with November’s week-long celebration of Hip Hop culture.
Matthew Wilburn Skinner makes up one-third of the band Tallgrass, picking up the banjo and guitar, playing the harmonica and contributing his raspy vocals to the band. Tallgrass managed to nab a spot on NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest as well as share a stage with former President Barack Obama. Skinner is a solo performer and earlier this year put out Play For The King, a perfect showcase for his Delta Blues/jazz style of playing.
Melkbelly’s debut, full-length album Nothing Valley may be one of the most refreshing albums of the year. Spanning a multitude of genres such as noise rock, punk, jazz, doom, and psychedelia.
Genre-bending rockers, The Great Aerodrome knock it out of the park with their debut album Happy Birthday to Me, I Guess. The band is comprised of members: Justin Maul, Philip Sellabarger and Michael Ross, but they have a larger than life sound. Combining elements of punk, dance-rock and metal makes for a high energy album that is fun to listen to from start to finish.
