Reviews

Albums, singles and shows, reviewed.

567 stories · Page 9 of 29

MusicAlbum Review: My Dog Ate Chad – KrakatoaMy Dog Ate Chad is exactly what it should be. A conglomeration of 5 flanneled friends from high school throwing their influences at the wall to see what sticks. They’re looking for their true identity on their full-length debut Krakatoa with wide eyes, open ears and loud-ass guitars.Kevin Johnston · Jul 7, 2020MusicDouble Single Review: The Beeves – “Playing Bingo” & Slow Caves “Walk In The Park”With top production, austere turn of phrase and beautifully transparent melodic construction, “Walk In The Park” by Slow Caves sparkles with the slow motion lens-flare of memories you haven’t even made yet. Riff-heavy with the pizzaz and swagger of the White Stripes, The Beeves’ new single “Playing Bingo” highlights the proper rock yelps of vocalist Ian Ehrhart and the grooving instrumental playfulness of bassist/vocalist Margot Sease and drummer Will Ehrhart.Kevin Johnston · Jul 6, 2020MusicAlbum Review: VIVIAN – The Warped GlimmerEven during the pandemic, Fort Collins-based dream pop band VIVIAN pushed forward the release of their debut full length album The Warped Glimmer, and according to the band, are already well into producing a full length follow-up. Spacy in all the right ways and saturated in the tell tale signs of art-rock gone pop, The Warped Glimmer is VIVIAN turning on cruise control and putting the seat back for you. It’s a warm envelope to rest in but exciting enough not to put you to sleep.Laura Giagos · Jun 11, 2020MusicAlbum Review: Andy Sydow – Wicked Dreams‘Wicked Dreams’ – the title track of Andy Sydow’s most recent EP, is an alt-country story about nation-wide travel and going through the motions, while deep down the storyteller longs for true purpose. Reminiscent in style of early Wilco and Ryan Adams, it’s highlighted with a slide guitar solo that might appear in one of Derek Trucks’ dreams. After rambling through several states, the protagonist lands in Colorado which he “calls home,” full of “beauty, adventure, and a different kind of tone.”Nate Wilde · Jun 10, 2020MusicAlbum Review: A.M. Pleasure Assassins – Careless LaughterWith their (yes) fifteenth release Careless Laughter, A.M. Pleasure Assassins remind us there’s a whole scene of bands in Northern Colorado who refuse to care what you migh think. They remind us that making music is supposed to be fun; it’s about putting yourself out there.Laura Giagos · Jun 9, 2020MusicSingle Premiere: Corsicana – “Wreath”[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] The subtle tug-of-war between the power of youth and the perspective of experience usually comes when young artists break the mold put in place by seasoned veterans from the former generation. It’s how new art is made. But in the case of Corsicana, this cliché plays out in a completely different way. At justKevin Johnston · Jun 8, 2020MusicAlbum Review: King Crawdad – King Crawdad 2Two-piece Northern Colorado rockers King Crawdad entered 2020 like many bands around the world; with high aspirations and a sudden wipe-out of the entire music industry.Laura Giagos · May 13, 2020MusicAlbum Review: I Am The Owl – I Can’t See“I Can’t See” is an evolution for I Am The Owl. Their no-nonsense shredding with a twist of experimentation has flourished into a galloping monster of thought-out riffs and rhythms that will have Every Time I Die fans grinning from ear to ear. It deserves to be heard and supported, so buy this EP if you can.Michael Olivier · May 12, 2020MusicAlbum Review: Michael Morrow & The Culprits – I’m With The BannedMichael Morrow & The Culprits have proved themselves to be a mainstay in the Colorado music scene with their latest effort: I’m With the Banned.Nate Wilde · May 11, 2020MusicAlbum Review: Bones Muhroni – TriquetrumBones Muhroni and it’s figurehead Crew Rienstra have been a lot of things over the years: cheeky, folksy, a touch uncouth, but always a good time. Triquetrum is the happy and painful accident that, in my opinion, gave us his best music to date. It has some of the country quality old friends and fans of Bones have come to love on “The Ballad of Clifford Griffin,” but musically Rienstra has clearly moved beyond that being his primary sound.Laura Giagos · May 7, 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, 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, 2020MusicAlbum Review: Glass Cases – In BetweenIn Between, the debut album from Fort Collins trio Glass Cases, strives to relate to the band’s own demographic: a generation disillusioned with adulthood. Combining elements of synth-pop and alternative rock, Glass Cases create a vibe that’s both interesting and marketable. With rapid, spoken-word, and sung vocals that shine like Keane, Glass Cases’ topically relevant lyrics about social media and insecurity hit close to home for any millennial or gen Z-er. The band’s originally planned release show at Red Rocks Amphitheatre March 21 was to be their debut at the famed venue, but has been cancelled due to coronavirus precautions.Valerie Vampola · Mar 21, 2020MusicAlbum Review: safekeeper – bummer beach bonanzaWhen it comes to good music in Northern Colorado, everyone has their own approach. Some seek perfection with meticulous engineering, and then there are bands like safekeeper who just don’t give a shit. “bummer beach bonanza” (out March 21) is a glorious mess, painting a dreary, apathetic picture, but the lo-fi quality gives it charm and that extra something special you need in making a stand-out indie rock record.Laura Giagos · Mar 7, 2020MusicAlbum Review: MountianUs – Captured Live at ChimaeraSince their inception, MountainUs has been leading the way in Northern Colorado’s expanding reggae world. The Fort Collins fivesome has a new EP, ‘Captured Live At Chimaera,’ which holds the kind of energy that would never be attainable from a studio recording. They release the album at Hodi’s Half Note in Fort Collins on March 13.Nate Wilde · Mar 4, 2020MusicSingle Review: The Burroughs – Love & UnityColorado’s ‘Sweaty Soul’ band The Burroughs step out of their James Brown and retro-funk style to deliver two distinctive tracks.Valerie Vampola · Mar 3, 2020MusicAlbum Review: Gabrielle Louise – The Unending Alteration of the Human HeartGabrielle Louise lived alone for the past couple of years, existing in slow, rural life in Paonia, CO.Valerie Vampola · Mar 2, 2020MusicAlbum Review: Whitewater Ramble – PseudonymousWhitewater Ramble recently dropped their third full length, the long awaited non-live release Pseudonymous.Cole Peterson · Mar 1, 2020MusicAlbum Review: Amaya Arevalo – Love Wears Many FacesAmaya Arevalo is starting to make her mark in the Northern Colorado and Denver jazz scene.Valerie Vampola · Feb 12, 2020MusicAlbum Review: Saints Of Never After – Return to Tower: Part 2Saints Of Never After are Fort Collins’ answer to the amalgamous sub-genre known as post-hardcore.Nate Wilde · Feb 10, 2020