((( Don’t forget: each My5 title is a link. Click on, NoCo! )))
Covid Concert Options
1. Virtual Events on ColoradoSound.org – With more artists performing online (either new or archived shows), we’re keeping track of as many as we can. Click the link above to the Virtual Events page of our website!
2. Swallow Hill Live – Every single night of the week 6pm, the Colorado Sound is presenting Swallow Hill Live: live-at-that-moment performances from many different artists. Shows are free to watch and donations get split 50/50 between the artist and Swallow Hill.
3. Relix.com – Relix Magazine has also been doing a GREAT job of keeping up with various performances happening online. They seem to always have different shows on their daily email newsletters.
4. What? Live music again? – Some venues are finding ways to safely have in-person live music shows. Right now The Mishawaka and Larimer Lounge have slowly headed down that road. Keep checking your fave venue websites as more get on the “Bandwagon,” so to speak!
5. YouTube – You might be surprised by what you can dig up on “The Tube Of You” as I like to call it. Just before writing this list, I found all of Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings’ visits with David Letterman (on both NBC & CBS – link above). A helluva walk down memory lane!
Top 5 Punk things I am revisiting (since I can’t go back in time)
1. American Hardcore: A Tribal History by Steven Blush – A pretty cool book that gives an oral history of the various hardcore scenes in the 1980s. (Check out page 272 for Denver! – Buy it from The Tattered Cover via the link.)
2. The Denver Zine Library – Zines were the lifeblood of punk. Even though the library is closed because of COVID-19, sign up for updates so you can check out some zines when they reopen. Do that at denverzinelibrary.org
3. Flyers – Zines and flyers go hand in hand. Cornell University has made thousands of punk show flyers from the headiest years of punk available online. See if you find flyers from any shows you attended! Search for “punk show flyers” and more at library.artstor.org
4. No Thanks! The ‘70s Punk Rebellion – This box set chronicles the punk of the 1970s with over 100 songs.
5. Sound System – A comprehensive box set of The Clash. Mick Jones remastered all the original Clash releases plus there’s B-sides, rarities, demos, and even reprints of their “Armagideon Times” zine.
The Colorado Sounds Top 20 topic for August is Supergroups! Here are some current ones that may make your list.
1. Broken Bells – Formed in 2009 by Brian Burton (aka Danger Mouse) and James Mercer (The Shins). This group is tiny but mighty. They compose as a duo, but when performing live are graced by a myriad of other great sidemen like Conor Oberst and Jon Sortland.
2. Jaded Hearts Club Band – Originally formed as a birthday surprise for actor/musician Jamie Davis, this one-time Beatles cover band has gone legit. Featuring Matt Bellamy (Muse), Graham Coxon (Blur), and members of Jet, Nine Inch Nails and the Zutons, the band that started on a lark, has opened for The Who and was even joined by Sir Paul McCartney on stage.
3. BNQT – Started in 2015 by Fran Healy (Travis), Alex Kapranos (Franz Ferdinand), Eric Pulido (Midlake), Ben Bridwell (Band of Horses) and Jason Lytle (Grandaddy), these guys released a stelar album, Volume 1. We’ve been promised volume 2 for a year, rumored to have additional star power: John Paul White, Shakey Graves, Rayland Baxter and John Grant.
4. Big Red Machine – The brainchild of Aaron Dessner (The National) and Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), this supergroup has some superfriends. Their 2018 self-titled debut featured Phoebe Bridgers, Lisa Hannigan, Bryce Dessner and Richard Parry. Check out their latest collaboration with Michael Stipe (REM) too!
5. The New Pornographers – You might argue the definition of supergroup, but I’m going to count these guys in. Active for over 20 years featuring a rotating cast of characters including Neko case, AC Newman, Dan Bejar and Carl Newman.
1._Arlo McKinley: Die Midwestern – Arlo McKinley was the last artist John Prine signed to his Oh Boy record label. You can hear why Prine thought he would be a good fit – McKinley’s folksy style showcases brilliant observations of the every day and his voice will make you stop in your tracks and pay attention.
2. Hello Privilege, It’s Me Chelsea – Comedian Chelsea Handler doing a documentary about white privilege? Many fear the worst, but like driving by an accident, feel the urge to watch. Handler’s willingness and ability to tackle a very challenging topic is actually a pleasant surprise. Questions are raised and intelligent discussions follow. Love or hate her, give Handler credit for her willingness to learn and change.
3. Chuck Prophet: The Land That Time Forgot – Chuck Prophet has delivered greatness since his early days in the band Green on Red with his ability to make you laugh, cry, smile and most importantly: think. His latest, The Land That Time Forgot delivers an amazing collection from the whimsical, “High as Johnny Thunders” to the nostalgic “Marathon.” A great listen from beginning to end, there’s not a bad song on it.
4. Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado – Those unfamiliar with Walter Mercado will become fans after seeing this biopic. Mercado is the legendary gender non-conforming Spanish speaking astrologer whose television program had a worldwide audience of 120 million viewers daily. He had the flair of Liberace and the heart of Ghandi.
5. The Gasoline Lollipops: All the Misery Money Can Buy – The Gasoline Lollipops are set to be Colorado’s next great export. Clay Rose’s vocals carry a hint of nostalgia backed by the sweet, soulful sound of the band. They create a connection that draws in anyone who loves good music.
