CONCERT RECAP: Hometown for the Holidays @ Casselman’s

Last night at Casselman’s, a textbook example of why the Denver music scene is so great was on display. Not only did fans fill the venue to capacity, but there was also a large turnout of bands who made the semifinals as well as past HftH winners (Epilogues, Air Dubai, and Flobots) who were there to show support for this year’s finalists: Churchill, My Body Sings Electric, and The Heyday. Just prior to the show, bands playfully and comically trash-talked each other through the Twitter hashtag #denverbandbeef. But once inside, the inter-band support was evident by Pete Wynn (The Heyday) wearing an MBSE T-Shirt, and Nick Crawford (MBSE) wearing a Heyday T-Shirt (while Sean Bennett (The Heyday) wore an Eldren shirt). As expected, all three finalists put on great sets. My Body’s particularly energetic set earned them the fan favorite award which carried with it a prize of $1,000. But, Churchill ended up being the top vote-getter through RateTheMusic.com. They will enjoy $3,000 worth of recording studios at The Blasting Room – arguably the best studio in Colorado. While The Heyday has become the Jim Kelly (or Susan Lucci, depending on your interests) of Hometown for the Holidays, the good news is that their defeat allows them to participate in Hometown next year. They’re practically a lock for the semifinals and, as most bands will tell you, the real prize is the two weeks of heavy rotation that the semifinalists receive on KTCL. Check out video of the winners being announced:

Fan Favorite Award

2011 Winner

Weekend Preview: December 16th – December 18th, 2011

Here’s what’s going on in Denver this weekend. The events I plan on attending are in RED. Come say Hi!

Friday, December 16th, 2011

SEXTAPE

• Yonnas Abraham “SEXTAPE” @ Conceited Bastard Art Gallery (738 Santa Fe Dr, Suite A) – After releasing a song a week for 8 weeks in a cycle known as “A Prequel to SEXTAPE”, Yonnas Abraham is ready to reveal what is perhaps his most ambitious project. The night will include a photography exhibit, a live model in a glass box, an all-star band performing “SEXTAPE” and “Prequel to a SEXTAPE” in its entirety, and free food and booze. Not to be missed. 9PM, 21+, $10. Also, there will be a REVERB sponsored after-party at 3 Kings Tavern DJ’d by Savior Breath. 21+, FREE.
• Serious Moonlight w/ Attic Attack @ Illegal Pete’s Lodo – Come here Alan Andrews complain about Colorado going soft-rock while he plays his acoustic Americana jams. Donny Rose of Attic Attack will be stoked just to be out of the house! 10PM, All Ages, FREE! After party at Donny’s house (ask him for directions).
• In The Whale Video Release Party @ In The Whale House (1805 Irving Street Unit C) – Ugly sweaters, new video for their HftH entry “Heels”, and a dog named Porkchop. That’s all I need to know. And, Yes, I WILL hit all three of these events in one night! 10PM, All Ages, FREE (but float the band a couple bucks for beers, ya cheap bastard).
• Micah Schnabel (of Two Cow Garage) CD Release w/ Tin Horn Prayer @ Hi-Dive – 10PM, 21+, $7.
• P-Nuckle w/ The A-OK’s and Special Guests @ Gothic Theater – 8PM, 16+, $12.
• KBPI Mistletoe Jam – Plan B featuring Wayne Static and Special Guests @ Fillmore Auditorium – 7PM, 16+, $10.67.
• The Fox Street Allstars w/ Broken Tongues @ Cervantes’ Other Side – 9PM, All Ages, $8.

Saturday, December 17th, 2011

Hometown for the Holidays

• Channel 93.3’s Hometown for the Holidays @ Casselman’s – Congratulations to The Heyday, My Body Sings Electric, and Churchill! 8PM, 18+, FREE
• Colfax Speed Queen w/ Sun Red @ Wax Trax Records – Sun Red is one of my favorite new bands. Do yourself a favor and come check them out for free in the afternoon. 3PM, All Ages, FREE
• John Common & Blinding Flashes of Light w/ Achille Lauro @ Larimer Lounge – A very cool lineup. Wish I could make it… 9PM, 21+, $13.
• Bonnie & The Beard w/ The Ghost Towners @ Berkeley Inn (38th & Tennyson) – 9PM, 21+, FREE
• Be Brave w/ Calibrate Me and Special Guests @ Marquis Theater – 7PM, All Ages, $15.
• Garage A Trois w/ Zobomaze @ Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom – 9PM, All Ages, $15.
• Salt N Pepa w/ Wheelchair Sports Camp @ Gothic Theatre – 9PM, 16+, $50. Did I read that right? FIFTY BUCKS?!? Damn…
• Matisyahu w/ Dubskin @ Ogden Theatre – 9PM, 16+, $30.

Sunday, December 18th, 2011

• Sleeptalk w/ The Patent Pending and Special Guests @ Marquis Theater – 5PM, 21+, $10.

Handicapping Hometown for the Holidays

Hometown For The Holidays

The Top 10, I mean Top 12 thanks to a 4-way tie for 9th place, has been revealed for this year’s Hometown for the Holidays competition sponsored by KTCL 93.3 FM. Now, it’s up to the radio listeners (those who signed up at RateTheMusic.com prior to December 9th) to vote for their favorite acts from the Top 12. The top three vote-getters will perform at the Hometown for the Holidays concert at Casselman’s on Saturday, December 17th and the band with the most votes will receive $3,000 worth of recording time at The Blasting Room plus pricless bragging rights. Visit Area93.comto hear the Top 12 songs. Here are my predictions of each band’s chances of making the Top 3:

The Heyday – “Somebody to Someone”
The Heyday has made it into the Top 3 for three out of the last four years, so you’d have to consider them a heavy favorite to repeat this year. “Somebody to Someone” might not be as strong overall as last year’s “Fools Go Fallin'”, but the chorus is a knockout punch. I’m a little concerned that the track is more country-rock crossover than they typically play on KTCL, but I still expect The Heyday to do well in the voting. ODDS: 2 to 1 (50% chance)

The Photo Atlas – “Tell Me Again”
This one is tough to gauge. The Photo Atlas are well respected within the local music community. They’ve won a Westword Music Showcase award in each of the last two years, and may already be familiar to KTCL listeners (or Burnout Paradise video game players) thanks to their modest hit “Red, Orange, Yellow”. “Tell Me Again” is pretty poppy for the band. Ultimately it’s going to come down to whether listeners love or hate Singer Alan Andrews’ unique high, vibratto vocals. ODDS: 3 to 1 (33% chance)

Fierce Bad Rabbit – “You”
The Fort Collins based Fierce Bad Rabbits is a very strong contender in this year’s competition. “You” is ladened with the same kinds of hooks found in last year’s local hit “All I Have Is You”. But the song may be too “adult alternative” to attract the kinds of people that are likely to vote. If they can mobilize their FoCo followers through social media, they’ll have a huge advantage. ODDS: 3 to 1 (33% chance)

Churchill – “Change”
Churchill has to be commended for this savvy song choice. By choosing a song that features Bethany Kelly rather than Tim Bruns, “Change” automatically stands out as the only female-featured vocal. Plus, this song is absolutely gorgeous and capitilizes well on the success of KTCL artists like Florence and the Machine. Churchill made the Top 10 last year (and the Top 3 in 2009) and “Change” may very well put them in the Top 3 this year. ODDS: 2 to 1 (50% chance)

Saints – “Dark Country”
I first heard this song on “Locals Only” last month and wrote down the name of the band so that I wouldn’t forget it. Some of their songs have an Oasis vibe, but “Dark Country” is more Jakob Dylan meets Franz Ferdinand. While the song has a funky, chill vibe to it, it doesn’t really go anywhere. There is no difference in the music betwen the verses and the chorus, and unfortunately not even the dynamic outro can save it. ODDS: 10 to 1 (10% chance)

Reno Divorce – “Lover’s Leap”
“Lover’s Leap” is another song that stands out from the rest as being the only pure punk rock song in the competition. Fans of Social Distortion, Bad Religion, and Rise Against will vote for this song in droves and they’ve done a good job of mobilizing their fan base to vote. Still, you have to wonder why the band has failed to crack into the Top 3 after being in the Top 10 for three out of the last four years. Maybe there is some backlash for sounding too much like Social D. ODDS: 3 to 1 (33% chance)

My Body Sings Electric – “Doctor”
Like The Heyday, My Body Sings Electric was in the Top 3 last year. Their new single “Doctor” is indie-pop perfection. If they don’t make it into the Top 3, I’ll eat my hat. ODDS: 3 to 2 (66% chance)

Eldren – “Sleepy Walker”
I was a little perplexed by this decision. “Sleepy Walker” is a fairly new song and hasn’t been “road tested” much. But, I have come around to the shrewdness of the decision. It’s a short (not even 2 and a half minutes long) pop nugget that is alternately bouncy and dreamy. Eldren’s primary disadvantage is their newness. But one listen is all that most people need to become believers in this band. ODDS: 5 to 2 (40% chance)

Beats Noire – “Castaways”
Talk about a “wild card”. Beats Noire is the only band I’ve never heard of before. Hell, before the results were announced, they had fewer than 200 Facebook fans. This song’s Gorillaz-like vibe is pretty on point, but I think they would have been better served by editing the song down from its almost 4 minutes running time by removing the jazzy-piano interlude in the middle that just kills the song’s momentum. ODDS: 4 to 1 (25% chance)

Monroe Monroe – “Summon The Sound”
I don’t know whether the tally of 2010’s votes were published, but I’d be surprised if Monroe Monroe hadn’t finished in 4th place. “Squeeze” was one of the best songs to come out of Denver in 2010. I’m not sure that “Summon the Sound” was the best choice of songs to submit (I’d have gone with “Love Language (Wild Hearts)”). Still, Monroe Monroe has some good momentum going. ODDS: 3 to 1 (33% chance)

The Swayback – “What Death Cares About”
The Swayback are another perrenial favorite. I’m sure they will do well in the voting, but this song just doesn’t do it for me. ODDS: 3 to 1 (33% chance)

In The Whale – “Heels”
Nobody does more with less (members) than In The Whale. These guys have never met a gig they wouldn’t play. And whenever they start playing, newcomers get this look on their face like “are these guys serious?”. But, it isn’t long before Nate and Eric make converters out of them. “Heels” is less The Black Keys and more Clutch. It may be a little too hard rock for KTCL. And one of the things that makes In The Whale so charming and likeable is their nerdy exteriors. But, this will be lost on radio listeners. ODDS: 5 to 1 (20% chance)

There you have it. My Body Sings Electric and Churchill will fight it out for 1st place and The Heyday will round out the Top 3. Who do you think the Top 3 will be?

Funding Music Projects Through Kickstarter: Good or Bad?

Last week, Denver punk band Reno Divorce unveiled an $8,000 Kickstarter
project to fund their next album. That is the most money I’ve seen a Denver band try to raise through Kickstarter. It got me thinking about the Kickstarter model of raising funds for music projects and whether it is ultimately a good thing. As I wrote about in last week’s review of My Body Sings Electric’s new single, I have participated in a few music-related Kickstarter projects. For the most part, it has been an enjoyable experience. I like the feeling of contributing to hard-working musicians in return for personal appreciation and material rewards. But, Kickstarter projects are also prone to unsatisfying outcomes, and both project “organizers” and “backers” should understand the potential risks of participating.

In the days before Kickstarter, bands had to save their pennies, stretch their credit cards to the limit, snuggle up to mommy, daddy, or Mr. Record Exec to raise the funds needed to enter a recording studio. Now, they can just ask their fans to “invest” in new music. Typically, project backers receive anything from a high-five to a signed CD to a lifetime of being on the guest list – depending on the size of their contribution. If the project reaches its funding goal, the project organizers send out the advertised rewards to the backers and get started working on the project. Other than that, there is very little accountability happening. It’s impossible to know whether the band used all of the money for the intended purpose.

For example, let’s say a band needs $500 to fund the recording of a single. Plus, they have $500 worth of old merchandise that they would like to move. They could start a Kickstarter project for $1,000 to “fund the recording of a new single”. As rewards for backing the project, they offer combinations of band merchandise. If the project gets funded, the band effectively makes enough money to pay for the single and dumps $500 worth of merchandise at the same time. Now, you might say this is a win-win situation. The backers get merchandise for their investment and a new song from a band that they like, and the band gets a return on their merchandise investment and some money to pay for studio time. But how do you know if the band used any of the money to pay for recording the single? What if they used the money for a down payment on a new van, and instead recorded the new single in their practice room for free? Do you care?

Bands have a lot to consider with this model as well. The funding phase of the average Kickstarter project lasts 45-60 days. After that, you’ve got about a month to start delivering the rewards before your backers get annoyed. Then you actually have to complete the project you said you were going to complete. There are a lot of things that can go wrong during this period of time, and you can end up alienating your fan base as a result. For example, The Epilogues funded the filming of a video for “The Fallout” through a $4,000 Kickstarter project. They debuted the video for those who were in attendance at their Video Premier shows at the Bluebird Theater on March 30th and April 1st, 2011. After that, it was nowhere to be seen. Around the time the video was being completed, The Epilogues entered contract negotiations with a 3rd party and it was in their best interest to stop releasing new media. They did it to protect the value of the video – I get that. But, they are still constantly hounded about the video’s whereabouts by fans. Keyboardist Nate Hammond announced that the video will finally be released publicly “this month”.

Shit happens – it’s a fact of life. The Epilogues aren’t guilty of anything malicious here. But, outcomes can get much worse. I donated $25 to help fund this Summer’s “Titwrench Festival” in Denver, which showcases “queer-friendly art and music”. That project was funded on July 16th. Although I did not attend, the festival took place the weekend after UMS and by all accounts a good time was had by all. However, I haven’t received any of my promised rewards. Kickstarter will do nothing to help you in this situation other than suggest you leave comments on the project’s message board and/or send a private message to project organizers – both of which I did. I heard nothing for the longest time, and ultimately stalked the project organizer on Facebook. She explained that festival organizers underestimated the costs of fulfilling the Kickstarter rewards and needed to raise more funding before they could send them out. The fact that I still haven’t received what I was promised leaves a bad taste in my mouth and I doubt that I will support this festival in any way next year.

Then, there’s the dirty little secret about Kickstarter’s renumeration. Five percent of a successfully funded project goes back to Kickstarter. If the Reno Divorce project gets funded, $400 of fan pledges will go into Kickstarter’s coffers instead of directly funding the new album. I realize that Kickstarter is providing a service, but I’d prefer if bands could find a way to fund their projects without having to divert fan pledges to pay the costs of fundraising.

Fans: Do you think a band does better work when they are “hungry” and scraping to get by for their art? Bands: If someone wrote your band an $8,000 check in exchange for a new album, would you use that money to its fullest? Or would you spend $1,000 on pizza, beer, and clothes, and make an uninspired album for $7,000? If I hire someone to build a deck, I don’t pay him up front because it would decrease his incentive to do a quality job in a reasonable amount of time. I’m not picking on Reno Divorce or suggesting in any way that they won’t put the full $8,000 towards recording a great, new album. But, is $8,000 too much to ask your fans to pay? I’m curious as to whether the $8,000 they are asking for represents 50% of their total estimated expenses or 100%.

In conclusion, “Caveat Emptor” – May the Buyer Beware. If you go into a Kickstarter project with the intention of helping out a band you like and getting some cool stuff in return, you will be happy with the results most of the time. But also, “Caveat Venditor” – May the Seller Beware. Unless you execute the project flawlessly, you may subject yourself to the ill will of your most ardent supporters.

Concert Review: Nightmare on Blake Street

Friday night’s Nightmare on Blake Street event at the Summit Music Hall featured a Haunted House, a costume contest, and great performances by My Body Sings Electric, The Pirate Signal, Eldren, Shoot to Please, and Valedictorian. The Haunted House was a little weak and I heard one of the actors got punched pretty hard. It also reeked of gas fumes from a prop chainsaws. UPDATE: I’ve seen some pretty cool pictures from inside the Haunted House lately showing stuff I never saw. I must have rushed through it…

As a hoodied victim hung from the rafters, the zombified My Body Sings Electric performed a high energy set featuring hits “Outside”, “Step Into The Light, their newly completed single “She Wants To Be A Doctor”, and a Thrice cover – who is playing the Summit on Sunday night while MBSE is in Fort Collins supporting Air Dubai/The Epilogues. At the end of the set, they were joined on stage by contest winner Brady Berryman sporting his Justin Timberlake “Dick in a Box” costume.

The members of Eldren dressed in a variety of costumes: Nasir and Tyler wore red and blue bodysuits, respectively, which left little to the imagination. Also onstage were a hot dog, an astronaut, Beetlejuice and Lydia, and Bill and Hillary Clinton. They also performed a cover – MGMT’s “Brian Eno”. Eldren is so prolific, their 45-minute set didn’t include a single song from their two EP releases.

The Pirate Signal put on a solid set, but seemed a bit out of place in the lineup and had a somewhat difficult time maintaining the crowd.

See the full photo album here.

Weekend Preview: October 27th – October 31st, 2011

OK, Kids! It’s Halloween weekend! And, since Halloween is on a Monday, here’s a special EXTENDED weekend preview!

Events I plan on attending are in RED. Come say “Hi”!

Thursday, October 27th, 2011

• Radiation City w/ Popcult and Medic @ Larimer Lounge – That’s a lot of dreamy pop rock for one night! 8:00 PM, 21+, $10.
• Portishead w/ Thought Forms @ 1st Bank Center – Can’t say I’m super familiar with Portishead – but I like everything I’ve heard and I’m sure I will regret not going to this. 8:00PM, All Ages, $40-50.
• Trevor Hall w/ Cas Haley and Rob Drabkin @ Ogden Theater – 8PM, 16+, $25.
• Tin Horn Prayer w/Jesse Manley Band, …and the black feathers, and Pinetree Refugees @ Walnut Room – 7PM, 21+, $10.

Friday, October 28th, 2011

• Nightmare on Blake Street featuring My Body Sings Electric w/ The Pirate Signal, Eldren and MORE! @ Summit Music Hall – Definitely the “go-to” gig of this Halloween season!!! 7PM, All Ages, $8.
• Air Dubai w/ The Epilogues and In The Whale @ Belly Up (Aspen) – Killer lineup (if you’re in Aspen or you’re not going to Nightmare on Blake Street). 10PM, All Ages, $15.
• Joe Mondragon and A-OK’s Halloween Zombie Apocalypse Party @ Moe’s Original BBQ and Bowl – 9PM, 16+, $5.
• Devotchka w/Churchill @ Ogden Theater – 9PM, 16+, $34.75.
• Skyfox w/ Crimson Red and MORE @ Gothic Theatre – 8PM, 16+, $10.
• Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe @ Boulder Theater – Denson and Tiny Universe featuring Anders Osborne will be performing the Rolling Stones’ classic Sticky Fingers in its entirety! 8PM, All Ages, $36.
• Cold War Kids w/ Young Man @ Fox Theater (Boulder) – The same lineup at the same time on Saturday night too! 9PM, All Ages, $25.

Saturday, October 29th, 2011

• Air Dubai w/ The Epilogues and The Photo Atlas @ Black Sheep (Colorado Springs) – 8PM, All Ages, $10.
• Denver Does CBGB’s @ Hi-Dive – Several of Denver’s elite bands pay tribute to the bands who got their start at the legendary NYC rock club CBGB’s – 9PM, 21+, $10.
• Reno Divorce w/ The Repercussions and MORE @ Marquis Theater – 4 out of 5 punk rockers agree: If you like Social Distortion – you’ll like Reno Divorce. 7:30 PM, All Ages, $12.
• Devotchka w/ Zombies vs Vampires @ Ogden Theater – 8PM, 21+, $42.
• MiMOSa @ Fillmore Auditorium – 7PM, 16+, $35.
• De La Soul w/ The Black Sheep @ Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom – 9PM, All Ages, $34.50

Sunday, October 30th, 2011

• Air Dubai w/ The Epilogues and My Body Sings Electric @ Aggie Theater (Fort Collins) – 8PM, All Ages, $10
• The Motet @ Bluebird Theater – Boulder’s best funk tribute band performs the music of The Grateful Dead. 9PM, 16+, $25
• Method Man @ Ogden Theater – 8PM, 16+, $30.

Monday, October 31st, 2011

• Air Dubai w/ The Epilogues, Monroe Monroe, and ManCub @ Bluebird Theatre – Are you fucking kidding me with this lineup?!?!?! 8PM, 16+, $15.
• Inca House Halloween Party – The official Air Dubai after party featuring performances by The Photo Atlas (as Def Leppard) and Cobraconda (as Dr Dre and Snoop Dog).
• Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe @ Fillmore Auditorium – Denson and Tiny Universe featuring Anders Osborne will be performing the Rolling Stones’ classic Sticky Fingers in its entirety! 7PM, 16+, $25.

Single Preview: My Body Sings Electric “She Wants To Be A Doctor”

Since April, I’ve participated in a few Kickstarter projects to help musicians get some studio time. It’s usually a win-win situation: the band gets money, and the “backer” gets some cool rewards – usually in the form of band merchandise. For larger contributions, some bands offer rewards that are more personal – such as the “Thank You” video that Monroe Monroe made for me (found here) for backing their project. One of my rewards for backing My Body Sings Electric’s Kickstarter project was exclusive access to the single that my contribution helped to get recorded.

My Body Sings Electric (photographer unknown)

The song is called “She Wants To Be A Doctor”. It is 3:14 long and around 160 BPM. It begins (and ends) with dueling stereo guitars – Jeff Fedel in your right ear and Nick Crawford in your left ear – reminiscent of the intro to “Jealous Teeth” by their Inca House Collective brothers The Photo Atlas. The overall sound is similar to that of their previous album “Changing Color”. Crawford’s and Fedel’s guitars complement each other and stay distinct in the mix throughout the length of the song. The rhythm is about as straightforward as MBSE gets, but Jason Bower’s punchy bass and Ben Scarboro’s kick drum and hi-hat shine through (particularly in the chorus and the bridge). Brandon Whalen’s vocals are strong and clear and employ multi-tracked harmonies.

As for the lyrics, it is a boyfriend’s lament about how his girlfriends no longer have time for him. One wants to be a doctor and “bury herself inside of books that I can’t even read”. The other wants to be a model and “dance around in pretty clothes that she can’t afford to keep”. While one is trying to better herself internally through learning and the other externally through her appearance, the boy has stopped caring about both his brains and looks and can barely get motivated enough to leave the couch. Whether his malaise is borne out of his own laziness or in response to the decreased attention; whether to feel sorry for him or yell through the song at him to get up off his ass and make something of himself is for the listener to decide.

It’s a catchy song. Easy to dance to, easy to learn the lyrics. They’ve played it live a couple of times and will most likely play it again at the “Nightmare on Blake Street” event that they are headlining on October 28th at Summit Music Hall with The Pirate Signal, Eldren, and more. If you’ve never backed a Kickstarter project, it’s pretty exciting to be an “investor” in the bands you like. By the way, my contribution also made me eligible to have a song written about me by My Body Sings Electric. It will be very interesting to see if the band is able to capture my “essence”. Ha ha!

Music Video: Sam Lee “Secret”

I love this song and now it has a great video to go along with it! Filmed on the 16th Street Mall in Denver, it features special appearances from my buddies Monika Runstrom, Kaila Schleu, Nick Crawford, and Jon Shockness. Dig it!

 

Follow Sam on Facebook and download his stellar EP on iTunes.

 

Why Doesn’t KTCL Play Local Music?

Denver has one of the most vibrant local music scenes in the country right now.  Over 13,000 people showed up to the Westword Music Showcase in June, and another 11,000 tickets were sold for July’s Underground Music Showcase which featured 350 local bands over four days.  You’d think that Denver’s Alternative Rock radio station, KTCL 93.3 FM, would want to take advantage of this demand for local music and play more of it.  Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be the case.

Using statistics from http://www.yes.com/#KTCL and a mid-week sample date of Wednesday, August 31st, I discovered that KTCL had a total of 220 “plays”.  Of those plays, only 14 were from bands that are (or were) based in the Denver/Greeley/Fort Collins area.  That’s just barely over 6%.   It’s even more pitiful when you consider that these 14 plays only represented 7 unique songs.  One local musician said to me recently “People don’t need to hear [the Flobot’s hit] ‘Handlebars’ every fucking day”.  It may sound like he was exaggerating – only he wasn’t.  “Handlebars”, a song that is now 4 years old, was played twice on Wednesday.  “Girlfriends” by Single File was played three times.  As far as I can tell, these guys broke up almost two years ago!  Tickle Me Pink’s “Carolina” was played – they, too, are no longer together.  Breathe Carolina and The Northern Way (formerly known as Set Forth) also got two plays each.  Then there’s the biggest slap in the face: The Fray was played four times!  Why is this the biggest slap in the face?  Because, KTCL’s Alf was pretty much single-handedly responsible for breaking The Fray through his “Locals Only” show on Sunday nights.  Proof positive that radio airplay (along with listener demand) can turn a local act into a national act.  In fact, I’m not even sure it’s fair to count their four plays against the 14, because they are probably just part of Clear Channel’s “Premium Choice” program anyway.

Premium Choice is an initiative to “identify Clear Channel’s most effective content across music genres”, in other words: an approved playlist.  Clear Channel claims to give the local Program Director “total choice and flexibility in choosing the Premium Choice programming elements, and can use large portions, single elements, or none of the programming if they choose”.  But, there is no way that can be true.  According to his LinkedIn page, Nerf is not only KTCL’s afternoon drive DJ, but the station’s Program Director as well.  Nerf works very hard to get local bands onto larger stages, such as KTCL’s Big Gig, Hometown for the Holidays, and this year’s Denver County Fair (where he got  Take to The Oars, My Body Sings Electric, and others into the Stadium Arena at the National Western complex), but he can’t be bothered to play their songs on the radio?  It just doesn’t add up.  His hands must be tied.

So, what are we as concerned citizens and lovers of local music to do?  Stop listening to KTCL?  Do you think Clear Channel has any problem shutting down one radio station?  No way, and KTCL does too much good for the local music community to risk that.  My suggestion is to make “Locals Only” the most popular show on the channel by listening every Sunday night, and to call the request lines every other hour of the week to request local bands.  The fact is, I probably wouldn’t even be writing this blog right now if it wasn’t for KTCL spending 4 minutes out of a 1,440 minute broadcast day to play “Hunting Season” by The Epilogues.  Never in my 18 years of living in Colorado had I gone out to see a local band headline a show.  But that single play led me to the Bluebird Theater just days later where I saw Monroe Monroe, My Body Sings Electric, and The Epilogues.  Since then, I’ve been addicted to the scene and have shoveled money into the pockets of musicians.  One play.  That’s all it took.  Judging from my research, I got lucky.