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ReviewsAlbum Review: I Am The Owl – A Mission to Civilize: Part III Am The Owl’s newest release is for longtime fans of the Fort Collins punk/metal band and new listeners alike. Recorded at the Blasting Room, a heavy hitting local recording studio readers should familiarize themselves with (if you haven’t already), A Mission to Civilize: Part II rips. Fans of the hybrid genre will dig the searing guitars and signature “tight, but huge” drums. Following up their first release, A Mission to Civilize: Part I, the new drop expands on I Am The Owl’s galvanizing sound with much-welcomed production value increase. Fans of local DIY punk rock, don’t let that turn you off.Michael Olivier · Jul 1, 2018ReviewsAlbum Review: Heavy Beauty – Self-Titled EPThe Golden-based “Desert Grass” quartet Heavy Beauty has a clean but unfiltered sound to their work. The three songs on the EP – “Dreams,” “Butterflies” and “Stars” – are simple but elegant. They possess a slow, even flow to their singing that never stutters or overpowers certain elements. Dobro player Mike Testagrossa, bassist Angel Edgemon and Willie Thomas on the mandolin provide vocals, with Dax Hunter Jordan on drums.Jay Wallace · Jul 1, 2018105.5 The Colorado Sound's Featured Artists105.5 The Colorado Sound – Top Picks You Should Hear In JulyLake Street Dive vocalist Rachael Price says she’s this generation’s heir apparent to Bonnie Raitt. You’ll hear it in the torch of “I Can Change” and the defiant grit of “Good Kisser.” Their seventh album Free Yourself Up proves this is no novelty act. Dr. Dog’s new album Critical Equation is the band’s first album of new material in over 5 years. On his third solo album, Call The Comet, Johnny Marr seems at long last to have found his voice, literally. It’s rare to have the first song you record top the charts, but that’s exactly what happened to Alice Merton.BandWagon Magazine · Jul 1, 2018ReviewsAlbum Review: Modern Leisure – Super Sad Rom-ComModern Leisure’s Super Sad Rom-Com is a chilled-out / bummed-out illustration of a songwriter’s studio apartment life. Having departed from former Denver bands The Outfit and Shady Elders, mastermind Casey Banker “wanted to express the loneliness and euphoria of being a guy living in a semi-big city in my 20’s.” Made layer by layer and then re-recorded from scratch, the resulting collection of mid-tempo dream-folk jams make us want to hit the beach and text our ex with a Bluetooth boombox and ice-cold LaCroix in hand.Kevin Johnston · Jun 29, 2018FeaturesCold War Kids – The Best Versions Of ThemselvesCold War Kids are a force of nature in popular music. With six full-length albums and several chart-topping hits including the song “First” which peaked at number one on the U.S. alternative charts, the label of indie rockers hasn’t applied to them for years. For lead singer Nathan Willett, looking back on his career (and looking forward) the name of the game is being the best versions of themselves they can be.Jed Murphy · Jun 1, 2018ReviewsAlbum Review: Covenhoven – A Kind Of Revelation“Where To Begin” – a simple question revealing that there’s much to tell.Kevin Johnston · Jun 1, 2018ReviewsAlbum Review: Kinesics – SurfacingThe release of Kinesics’ full-length album Surfacing will be its third attempt at seeing the light of day. Self-proclaimed “sad rock songs” sung mournfully and deep, this is the full and final realization of music which began its journey back in 2015. There’s a beauty in the unexpected here, most notably the fact that the somber, low voice of Kinesics’ songwriter belongs to the diminutive, dare we say cute, alto – Kenzi Everitt. A solo project on her first two tries, there’s now a universality to the work. The androgyny in her liquid vocal delivery, fully-invested band arrangements, and the fact that her main collaborator (guitarist Jason Bartek) is also her fiancé reflect the band’s mantra of community, teamwork, and equality. Did I mention that the drummer and bassist are married to each other too? They are. It’s adorable.Kevin Johnston · Jun 1, 2018ReviewsAlbum Review: Chloe Tang – StrangerHometown For The Holidays finalist Chloe Tang’s newest EP Stranger has the Denver songstress aiming for the fences.Jed Murphy · Jun 1, 2018Video Single Premiere – Kinesics: Back To YouIn anticipation of their melodious full-length debut album Surfacing on June 22nd, Denver indie-rock quartet Kinesics premiere the album’s video single “Back To You” exclusively via Bandwagon Magazine.BandWagon Magazine · Jun 1, 2018105.5 The Colorado Sound's Featured Artists105.5 The Colorado Sound – Top Picks for June, 2018If you’re going to be born Alejandro Rose-Garcia, and want to stand out in the music world, it makes sense you’d adopt a stage moniker given to you by friends at a campfire when you’re all coming up with Indian guide names. Whether he liked the name or not, Alejandro became firmly attached to Shakey Graves after the massive success of “Dearly Departed” with former Paper Bird member Esmé Patterson singing along. On this 5th full-length CD, I got the feeling Shakey opened his mind to aural possibilities. In December he Tweeted “Next album. New sound. Sell your suspenders.”BandWagon Magazine · Jun 1, 2018FeaturesBrent Cowles Hasn’t Figured A Damn Thing OutIt’s a good time for Brent Cowles and his music. Recently signed to Dine Alone Records alongside industry giants like Dashboard Confessional and Jimmy Eats World, How To Be OK Alone is set to pop. “We were talking to a few different labels at the time. I guess there are a few super important things you want to consider. First off, does it seem like they care about your music? When you meet someone in person you can tell if they’re being genuine and real. When we met our label rep Jason it felt like the right decision.”Jed Murphy · May 1, 2018FeaturesIller Than Most: Del The Funky Homosapien On His New LP With Amp Live & His Reason For RappingAs the hygienically-sound MC celebrates the release of his joint project with producer Amp Live — Gate 13 — Del The Funky Homosapien is making his way across the country in support of the album. People go nuts for Del and he’s one of the few MCs out of the Hiero crew who’s really forged a lucrative career separate from the rest of the guys. From his work with the Gorillaz to his side project Deltron 3030 with Dan The Automator and Kid Koala, artistically he’s always stood out.Kyle Eustice · May 1, 2018FeaturesTrout Steak Revival – Play Us Some Mountain MusicI attribute a lot of Trout Steak’s success to stamina. As we built the band, it felt like the steps of growth took much longer than we expected. We play about 120-150 shows each year. While we are on tour we travel in a van a lot, sleep in a different place every night. There are a lot of amazing moments on stage, there are also a lot of moments that cause you to ask yourself why you’re in a touring band. The thing that has held Trout Steak together over the years is communication. We treat each other fairly, we know each other very well and we know when to tread lightly and when to sit down and talk about it. It’s a family and we were friends first. My advice for a budding band would be to start a band with people you admire and trust: your friends!Rebecca LaPole · May 1, 2018FeaturesSteve Harms – Sound Life ChoicesWalking into Harms Labs in Old Town Square, Fort Collins, one immediately discovers that founder Steve Harms’ passion for music and high-quality speakers drives him every single day.Kyle Eustice · May 1, 2018ReviewsAlbum Review: Bitter Suns – Broke Off BluesBitter Suns is on to something with Broken Off Bones. Produced by Alan Hlavacek of the Ft. Collins band Attack On Venus, the tracks are tight and the guitar tones crisp, making a fine punk record. It’s less of a ‘fuck the man’ style of punk and more of a ‘what’s your damage dude, I’m trying to get pitted with my boys’ sound. The song “Pitted” summarizes the whole vibe of the EP (and the band) with lyrics like; “yesterday I got totally pitted, it’s been a while since I’ve been this broke off.” Not exactly Shakespearean level poetry, but coupled with the rich punk instrumentals throughout, it hits the mark more closely than if they sang about something they didn’t care about.Jed Murphy · May 1, 2018ReviewsAlbum Review: Chain Station – Where I Want To BeThis proud bluegrass band – consisting of Jarett Mason on the mandolin, Jon Pickett on bass, Alex Thoele on guitar, and James Weatherly on Banjo – is held together by the harmonizing voices of Mason, Pickett, and Thoele and the fast-paced picking of all four members. Where I Want To Be, released in 2016, is probably the most pure bluegrass album we’ve heard in some time.Jay Wallace · May 1, 2018

Concert PhotosBandWagon Magazine Battle of the Bands @ Moxi Theater – Greeley[vc_row][vc_column][vc_masonry_media_grid grid_id=”vc_gid:1522368626696-510a46d3-50dd-4″ include=”18580,18579,18578,18577,18576,18575,18574,18573,18571,18572,18570″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_wp_text]The Great Salmon Famine, Soul Solum and Igaus Davis at BandWagon Magazine Battle of the Bands in Greeley on March 24th 2018, [/vc_wp_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]Caitlyn Williams · Mar 24, 2018FeaturesAlex Cameron & Roy Molloy Are No Cheap DatesAlex Cameron and his business partner/saxophonist Roy Malloy know what it means to put in time. From their humble beginnings in Sydney, Australia to their consistently sold out shows around the world, the name of the game has been stay on the grind and cash those checks when you can.Jed Murphy · Mar 1, 2018FeaturesAntibalas Is The Medicine Everyone NeedsAs the lead singer of Antibalas, Amayo is used to juggling the various demands that come along with being a working musician. Founded in 1998 by Martin Perna, the 11-piece outfit was inspired by Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti, who wove jazz, funk, Ghanaian/Nigerian highlife, rock, and traditional West African chants and rhythms into one cohesive fabric.Kyle Eustice · Mar 1, 2018FeaturesSlow Caves – Poser / Rover 7″ ReleaseSlow Caves evoke a depth of maturity that belies their youthful, blonde, surf-rock appearance.Kevin Johnston · Mar 1, 2018