Valerie Vampola

92 stories · Page 3 of 5

FeaturesA Brother’s Bond: Holdfast. Stays, Fights and Reflects“We are three brothers” is the first sentence Holdfast. wrote in their Facebook bio and they’re not really wrong about that. Brothers Tom and Mikey Maddocks and their cousin Charlie Maddocks grew up right next door to each other in Windsor, CO. They did everything together, including signing a sync licence with Audio Network in 2020 and releasing their first full length Stay And Fight on January 8, 2021.Valerie Vampola · Jan 11, 2021MusicAlbum Review: Fresh Fruit! – IndependentlyThe groovy, Denver-based soul band Fresh Fruit!Valerie Vampola · Jan 8, 2021MusicAlbum Review: Alright Alright – CrucibleAlright Alright’s new album Crucible is an intimate experience with dreamy orchestration and relatable lyrics, something for which they are already known. But here, that intimacy is closer than before, like the genuine musings of a close friend.Valerie Vampola · Dec 14, 2020MusicAlbum Review: Musketeer Gripweed – More Than EverMusketeer Gripweed released “More Than Ever” late last month, taking their bluesy Americana sound and infusing it with gospel and soul. Gospel and soul sounds are appropriate for a project that was brought back to life after it was halted by COVID-19.Valerie Vampola · Dec 8, 2020FeaturesEverybody Loves An Outlaw: Break on Through to the Other SideBefore “I See Red” went viral, Longmont-based soul rock duo Everybody Loves An Outlaw were just DIY, writing the songs, producing the records, and managing the band themselves. Then, they got signed to Columbia records and “I See Red’ got featured in the Polish soft-core film ‘365 Days.’ This thrusted them into a new world, but they remember every little step along the way.Valerie Vampola · Nov 5, 2020MusicAlbum Review: Royce DeZorzi & The New Freedom MovementRoyce DeZorzi & The New Freedom Movement have a pocket groove, play elongated solos, and do a great job of building energy collectively. But what really stands out about their debut album is not the notes they play, but how they want the listeners to hear them: every track on the album is a first take recorded live, directly to tape.Valerie Vampola · Sep 24, 2020FeaturesGirls Just Wanna Own A Label: 17-Year-Old Maddie Hein’s Dream Cult Press Provides a Platform For DIY Musicians“I mean, what is stopping us? Why don’t we?” said Maddie Hein of Dream Cult Press. Well, she was 17, but that wasn’t enough, apparently. Nor was the fact that they met online and not in her hometown of Greeley (one of them, in fact, was from Kazakhstan). The new indie label released their first album in July 2019 and started picking up fans and followers, but quickly also decided to use their platform to benefit individuals and organizations that were helping out during protests across the country.Valerie Vampola · Sep 10, 2020MusicAlbum Review: Alcario Artuso – I Will Always Be With YouAlcario Artuso’s tracks on his new double single EP “I Will Always Be With You “(feat Kyle Kounovsky and Terrah Schultz) revive the alternative indie rock sound of the late 2000’s, where distorted guitars and sprinkles of synthesizers met minimal production, and a live musician still stood behind every beat and note. The double-single EP premieres via BandWagMag.comValerie Vampola · Aug 2, 2020PremieresSingle Premiere: Ruby Daze – “TLC”Greeley-based duo Ruby Daze’s new single “TLC” premieres via BandWagMag.com today. It is an anthem to that lover or close friend you haven’t seen since COVID-19 hit. While the song could talk about any period of separation, lines like “I’m coming over even if it kills me” are particularly tongue-in-cheek in our current climate.Valerie Vampola · Jul 23, 2020FeaturesA Change is Gonna Come: Robert Randolph Spreads the Message of UnityIf you ask Robert Randolph what his 2006 hit “Ain’t Nothing Wrong with That” is about, his answer would be: “It’s about what’s going on today.Valerie Vampola · Jul 22, 2020PremieresVideo Premiere: Oliver Mueller – “I Wanna Play At The Moxi”The music video for Oliver Mueller’s new single “I Wanna Play At the Moxi” premieres via BandWagon today. Under his solo-project pseudonym oliverrr, the track is a love-letter to his favorite NoCo music venue, as performers and concert go-ers alike bemoan the absence of live music. Mueller brings the same dreamy alternative style he displays in his band Slow Caves, but combines it with punk flare and humor.Valerie Vampola · Jul 20, 2020MusicAlbum Review: David Burchfield – State To StateWhether it’s your first time going on a hike since lockdown, or an anticipated camping trip, David Burchfield’s album “State to State” makes for a proper soundtrack to a mountain getaway.Valerie Vampola · Jul 9, 2020FeaturesHitting The High Notes: Diane Bolden-Taylor Helps Youths Find Their VoiceDiane Bolden-Taylor grew up in the Baptist church, where anyone with a voice would have an audience, and anyone who hit the high notes would be praised as a hero – regardless of their skin color.Valerie Vampola · Jul 5, 2020FeaturesDrum As You Are: Eric Riley Throws Down The Beat As A Black Musician In MetalEven with all the fun Eric Riley has thrashing onstage with his longtime friend Nate Valdez, there is always that one drunk person who has to point it out: a black guy in a metal band!Valerie Vampola · Jul 4, 2020FeaturesHighway To Heaven: Drive-Ins Revive The Live Music Experience“I’ve reset my expectations with everything we do in the music business,” said Adam Aijala. “The best attitude is to just roll with it.” The last time his group Yonder Mountain String Band played was March 12, 2020. Then coronavirus hit. With band members scattered across different time zones in the lower 48, they made video collaborations. But then, their agent called. They had a gig. A live one. Blue Pig Presents in Cheyenne took a chance and installed a drive-in theater set-up at Terry Bison Ranch, booking Yonder Mountain live. The idea of drive-in concerts spread almost as fast as the virus itself, with The Holiday Twin Drive-In Movie Theater in Fort Collins collaborating with FoCoMX to fill the festival void with their Drive & Jive concert series.Valerie Vampola · Jun 30, 2020FeaturesIn My Room: Music Teachers Turn To Online Methods, Keeping Musical Communities TogetherWith stay-at-home orders in place, students still want to make music with their teachers and with their peers. Fairview High School students in Boulder decided to try a “virtual choir.” Virtual ensembles, including choirs, are a huge trend worldwide, allowing musicians to collaborate with their friends, bandmates, or favorite artists from home. But putting together a collaboration of 15-plus people requires a lot of time, a hefty budget, and in this case, a supportive community.Valerie Vampola · Jun 4, 2020MusicAlbum Review: JuiceBox – JuiceBox EPJuiceBox emerges from the ashes of Colorado funk outfit Moves at Midnight to produce retro, funky sounds reminiscent of times before most of us were even sipping on Capri Suns. They combine funk, rock, and R&B with strong horn lines under a 70’s aesthetic umbrella, curating a collection of fun jams for bouncing while they search for Soul with a capital S.Valerie Vampola · May 5, 2020FeaturesWith A Little Help From My Friends: Resources & Relief For Musicians During The PandemicIn 2013 and 2017, Chris “K” Kresge had what he called “crazy ass idea” to raise a million dollars for the musicians affected by natural disasters and community devastation, now called Rocky Mountain Music Relief. With live music shut down due to DOVID-19, every week, RMMR updates a spreadsheet that points musicians and music industry professionals to grants and resources. A slew of financial resources are available to musicians, but there’s more. The Music Minds Matter organization provides a platform for mental first aid as well via free, weekly online meet-ups.Valerie Vampola · Apr 30, 2020FeaturesAll Together Now: The Burroughs’ Bands Give Back Initiative“The arts are a mental lifeline for kids in the public school system,” says Mary Claxton, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and singer for Trashcat and the Burroughs. “Everyone deserves to express themselves and have joy throughout the school day. It’s not a privilege.” Her band The Burroughs have launched the Bands Give Back Initiative, engaging students in music education while raising funds, constructing instrument storage and more for the Greeley, Evans School District 6.Valerie Vampola · Apr 3, 2020MusicAlbum Review: Space Force – EP 1Space Force does not play smooth jazz. Their true genre, Jazz fusion, is easily mistaken for commercial artists like Kenny G (you know, your dentist office’s official soundtrack) but it deserves more credit.Valerie Vampola · Apr 2, 2020