1. Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band – If you can’t get tickets to see this film and my talk with Robbie at Opening Night of the Boulder International Film Festival on Friday, do yourself a favor: watch it online or in the theater! It’s a great lesson on the history of American music since 1969!
2. BIFF Ft. Collins – And for the 2nd year, Boulder International Film Festival is coming to Ft. Collins! Catch some of the films from BIFF at the Lincoln Center March 27-28. And the Singer/Songwriter Showcase has Liz Barnez, Shanna In A Dress and more!
3. Bluebird Music Festival– The Colorado Sound is again thrilled to present this afternoon and evening lineup at CU/Boulder’s Macky Auditorium on April 18. It features Colin Meloy (The Decemberists), Wesley Schultz (The Lumineers), Josh Ritter, Jade Bird, Dave Simonett (Trampled By Turtles) and more!
4. The new Colorado Sound Box Office – We know. You like hearing music and you like going to SEE music! That’s why we have an even easier way for you to win tickets. The Box Office is open 24 hours a day on our website. Just look under the ‘Live Music’ tab!
5. Resistance – Another interview I did at BIFF this month was with Jesse Eisenberg and his new film Resistance. Who knew the mime Marcel Marceau was like Oskar Schindler, saving children during WWII? This film releases March 27 – watch it and see how 1 person really can change the world.
This month’s My5: Top 5 Female Musicians
1. Wanda Jackson– In many ways, Wanda Jackson is an unsung rock music pioneer. She had the nickname “the female Elvis” for a reason. She rocked hard in an era when it was unusual for a woman.
2.Lorrie Collins – If you don’t know her, you are missing out. She was an accomplished rock guitarist with her brother Larry in The Collins Kids. Seek her out if you don’t know her work. It’s well worth it.
3. The Wilson Sisters: Ann and Nancy – These sisters created a blueprint for female forward rock in the 1970’s, literally with Heart.
4. Pat Benatar – One of the first female solo musicians to sell out arenas in the 1980’s. Trained as an opera singer she made that training totally rock.
5. Chrissie Hynde – The Pretenders cut through the Punk scene in 1980 with their sparkling debut led by Chrissie Hynde. Chrissie’s mixture of rock filtered through punk created an important sound that has been often imitated.
1. No Time To Die – The twenty fifth 007 movie comes out in early April with more double crosses, thrills and chases. Rami Malek is the Bond villain Safin and Billie Eilish becomes the youngest person to write & record a Bond theme song.
2. Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl) – This Oscar-winning doc short film shows the story of young Afghan girls learning to read, write and skateboard in Kabul. It highlights Skateistan, an organization whose mission is to teach under privileged children in Afghanistan, Cambodia and South Africa.
3. The Orb: Abolition of the Royal Familia – Get your electronica on with The Orb’s 16th studio album due out 3/27 featuring guest appearances by Youth, Roger Eno, Steve Hillage & Miquette Giraudy, GAUDI, David Harrow and many more.
4. Hinds: The Prettiest Curse – The Madrid-based band releases their 3rd album April 3rd. It sees the band move away from lo-fi and more towards a power pop sound. It also has them singing in their native Spanish for first time on any of their records. See them May 26 at the Bluebird!
5. Cherokee heirloom seeds sent to Global Seed Vault –With close to 1 million samples from nearly every country on Earth, this vault inside the Arctic Circle has the largest collection of seeds and other plant specimens in the world. The Cherokee Nation became the first Native American tribe to contribute seeds of their own heirloom crops, predating the arrival of Europeans on the American continents.
1. Boy Howdy! The Story Of Creem Magazine – This documentary tells the story of the legendary Creem Magazine which showcased some of the greatest rock critics of our time like Lester Bangs and Dave Marsh. The magazine had a Rock and Roll attitude which was its biggest strength and also the cause of its downfall. Definitely worth spending an evening watching!
2. Logan Ledger: (I’m Gonna Get Over This) Some Day – Bay area musician Ledger struck gold on his debut release. Not only did he get legendary producer T-Bone Burnett to produce the album, but he put together an all-star band to back him up. Players like Marc Ribot and Dennis Crouch add depth to a very impressive inaugural album.
3. Dave Simonett: Red Tail – Trampled By Turtle’s front man has released his 1st solo effort and it’s impressive. Red Tail shows off his genre defying style and places us firmly in the woods of Northern Minnesota where the album was created. Simonett has a gift for creating enormous space in his recordings, allowing us to breathe and just enjoy the music on its own merits. You can enjoy Simonett when he performs at the Bluebird Music Festival April 18th and The Armony in FoCo April 19.
4.Pokey Lafarge: Rock Bottom Rhapsody – It’s been a few years since we heard from Pokey. His new album, Rock Bottom Rhapsody sees Lafarge going in a different direction that the previous ragtime minstrel sound. He ventures into more roots, rockabilly sounds with impressive results, sounding more like the Everly Brothers instead of Leon Redbone.
5. The Final Four –Even if you’re not a sports fan, there’s something compelling about the NCAA’s March Madness and The Final Four. Everyone likes to see the kid from next door hit the game winning shot. Plus, it gives you a chance to bond with your co-workers and sympathize when your bracket implodes in the office pool.
