Blitzen Trapper’s Eric Earley Explains The Road To Americana Gold

Nine albums and several Rolling Stone nods later, Blitzen Trapper — Earley, Erik Menteer, Brian Adrian Koch, Michael Van Pelt, and Marty Marquis — is at the forefront of modern Americana. Serving as a follow-up to albums like 2008’s critically acclaimed Furr and 2015’s All Across This Land, the group’s ninth studio album, Wild and Reckless, is filled with personal anecdotes about a bygone era. From the moment the album opener “Rebel” begins, it immediately draws comparisons to Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan, something he hasn’t grown tired of… yet.

One Flew West – Explicitly Themselves

Tried and true emo-honesty comes off OFW’s chest in spades, but the truth is, more and more of Northern Colorado is all ears. Shout-y open-throated hooks throughout the EP evoke images from its release show last month at The Bluebird Theater, packed with hoodied disciples bopping and shouting along.

“One thing we tried really hard to convey on this EP was the energy of our music that we display at our live show” OFW says. “A big part of that was incorporating gang vocals into the recording. We always get the audience to sing along when we play live and we wanted to harness the energy that comes with that into a recorded song.”

.idk – Money Moves

Maryland-based rapper .idk (formerly Jay IDK or IDK for short) lost his mother in 2016. Out of that tragedy, he’s delivered some of his most personal work to date with his debut album IWasVeryBad. Released in October 2017 on Adult Swim’s imprint, the 12-track project features hip-hop royalty like Del The Funky Homosapien and MF Doom (now DOOM), and veteran beatsmith Swizz Beatz.

Washington’s Opens to Sold Out Crowd

Saturday, February 3, the historic Ft. Collins landmark will once again be re-birthed as a 900 capacity music venue simply dubbed: Washington’s. A sold-out crowd will unite that evening for the venue’s inaugural performance by Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue.

Michael Olivier – Tired Bones

Tired Bones is still very much an emo/hardcore album, which is Olivier’s natural habitat, but his rock and roll roots peek out from time to time, giving us a glimpse at the scope of this maturing songwriter. While his work in Disguise The Silence pushed for an intense heaviness, the end result could at times come across as sporadic to the casual listener. Tired Bones is much more concise, with tight guitar licks and dare I say poppy melodies, clearly showing Olivier as the captain of the ship.

Decatur – Self-Titled

Denver-based quintet Decatur proclaim their sound as “slithering guitar rock.” It’s an apt descriptor for the ominous atmosphere, overdriven guitars and cigarette-flecked vocals that permeate their eponymous EP.

105.5 The Colorado Sound – Top Picks You Should Hear

Ron – Aretha Franklin: Lady Soul January 22 was the 50th anniversary of Aretha Franklin’s Lady Soul album. A week prior, Rhino Records released this seminal collection in a limited edition, 180-gram vinyl version. It’s worth revisiting this landmark album, not just for the songs that have become like old friends (“Since You’ve Been Gone,” […]

Chillin’ with The John Adam Smith Experience

John Adam Smith is a one man band whose smooth and raspy vocals accompany his guitar in a captivating way. His looping skills and homemade stompbox allow him to focus on the melodies and intricate stylings he plays on his slide and acoustic guitars, while singing his all original self-written songs.