BandWagon Magazine, December 2018: Gogol Bordello

Gogol Bordello, The Stubby Shillelaghs, Long Cut, Igaus Davis, Safekeeper, Anthony Ruptak, Greta Van Fleet. 10,000 copies on the street from Cheyenne to Fort Collins.

ReviewsAlbum Review: Igaus Davis – Keep Your Candles Close ByKeep Your Candles Close By is sonically, emotionally intimate and thematically concise, teasing at something we won’t see pan out. Some strife within the band Igaus Davis has lead to this being their final release, creating sonically solemn vignettes of despair and resignation.Jack McManaman · Dec 2, 2018ReviewsAlbum Review: Anthony Ruptak – A Place That Never ChangesIn a musical era defined by digital austerity, A Place That Never Changes is a powerful ode to maximalism, a carefully layered production of towering melodies and micro-cacophonies that cede just the right amount of space for Ruptak’s searing lyrical attack. It captures 2018 America’s prevailing feelings of confusion, anxiety and dread.Ryan Murphy · Dec 5, 2018FeaturesThe Stubby Shillelaghs: Growth, Depth and The Great WarOn the new Stubby Shillelaghs EP, The Great War, the band covers classic tunes that detail the horrors of war, with a special focus on World War I. Knaub got the idea for the record from a popular podcast, Hardcore History, by Dan Carlin, a show that details “the extremes of human existence,” Knaub said. The band will play at the Moxi Theater on Saturday, December 15 performing The Great War in its entirety, but you shouldn’t expect to see the Stubbies play many gigs in Greeley any longer.Dan England · Dec 10, 2018ReviewsAlbum Review: safekeeper – On Sludge SummitBoiled down into an emotional lo-fi art rock reminiscent of an early Modest Mouse, safekeeper is releasing the aptly named On Sludge Summit December 14. This five-track EP glistens with slow ride emo guitar licks and drunken yawls that drudge through at a satisfying pace. Catch them at Pinball Jones December 21.Laura Giagos · Dec 13, 2018FeaturesLong Cut – Shaping Up For A Hick-Hop FutureRapping is a tiring, literally breathtaking affair, and Bryan Thomas, quite honestly, didn’t have the stamina for it. He was, to be blunt, too fat to rap. He then endured a sickly stint in the hospital that led to him having throat surgery. So he quit drinking, stopped taking street drugs and started eating better, including flirting with a Vegan diet, and exercising. Since he and Adams formed the hip-hop/country band Long Cut in January, he’s lost 115 pounds.Dan England · Dec 16, 2018ReviewsAlbum Review: Greta Van Fleet – Anthem Of The Peaceful ArmyGreta Van Fleet have gained a lot of popularity by appealing to rockers both young and old. Their second full-length album Anthem Of The Peaceful Army once again pays homage, both musically and lyrically, to their heroes. You can hear melodic bits of John Paul Jones and the energy of Pete Townshend supporting the aggressive wails of Josh Kiszka, especially in tracks such as “When The Curtain Falls” and “Age of Man.”Valerie Vampola · Dec 17, 2018105.5 The Colorado Sound's Featured Artists105.5 The Colorado Sound: Top Picks You Should Hear – December, 2018Villagers have just released their 5th album, The Art Of Pretending To Swim, with sophisti-pop influence perfect for a snowy Sunday outside your window. David Bowie said the work of Hiss Golden Messenger put him in mind of, “mystical country, like an eerie yellowing photograph,” and Devotion: Songs About Rivers and Spirits and Children, a limited-edition box set, only reinforces that opinion. The Teskey Brothers have been making music for more than a decade but are just now releasing their debut Half Mile Harvest. The warm and sultry sounds take you back to the early Muscle Shoals and Stax era. Alejandro Escovedo has created the most ambitious release of his career with The Crossing, a concept album focused on the story of two friends: one from Italy, the other from MexicoBandWagon Magazine · Dec 19, 2018FeaturesGogol Bordello – An American Band Of GypsiesEach member of Gogol Bordello’s multicultural melange grandstands throughout, exuding practically nuclear energy. From Russian-born Pelekh’s dizzying solos to Pedro Erazo’s spitfire Ecuadorian rapping en Español, native Ethiopian Thomas Gobena’s rich, reggae bass and more, the whole band take the spotlight with a prowess that commands respect, invigorating Gogol’s crazy crowds. Catch their New Year’s shows at The Aggie December 30, The Ogden December 28 and 29, and The Boulder Theater December 31.Kevin Johnston · Dec 21, 2018