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?

Weekend Preview: December 1st – December 4th, 2011

Here’s what’s going on in Denver this weekend. I am totally undecided as to which of these shows to attend… That’s a great position to be in!

Thursday, December 1st, 2011

• Stache Bash Benefit Show featuring Fierce Bad Rabbit w/ The Don’ts and Be Carefuls, Young Cities, and The Outfit @ Hi Dive – A great lineup benefiting the Blue Star Connection organization, which donates their time through the power of music to children and young adults who have cancer and other life threatening situations – 8PM, 21+, $10.
• Churchill w/ You, Me, and Apollo and Danielle Ate The Sandwich @ Hodi’s Half Note (FoCo) – 8PM, 18+, $10.
• Fairchildren @ Lost Lake – The band featuring Meese brothers Nate and Patrick kick of a December residency tonight. 9PM, 21+, $?.
• Set in Motion w/ Gary Bragg Band, Ali Grayson, & Sugar Magnoli @ Toad Tavern (Littleton) – 7 PM, 21+, $?.
• Kid Rock w/ Ty Stone @ Fillmore Auditorium – Upjump the boogie! 7PM, 16+, $47.
• eTown: Big Head Todd and the Monsters w/ Nicole Atkins @ Boulder Theater – 7PM, All Ages, SOLD OUT .

Friday, December 2nd, 2011

• Be The Ant w/ Eldren and Colfax Speed Queen @ Summit Music Hall – I’ve always wanted to see Colfax Speed Queen. Could this be the night? Everybody knows I love Eldren and Be The Ant. 8 PM, 21+, $5.
• Rocket Summer w/ The Heyday @ Marquis Theater – The Heyday?!? Geez, this is a really hard decision! The twenty dollar ticket price is a little steep. 7PM, All Ages, $20.
• Churchill w/ You, Me, and Apollo @ Walnut Room – Then again, I’ve never seen Churchill either… 7PM, 21+, $12.
• The Queers w/ Lola Black, Reno Divorce, Knock-Out, Potato Pirates @ Gothic Theater – 7PM, 16+, $12.
• Social Distortion w/ Suedehead and Chuck Ragan @ Ogden Theater – This is the first of three straight nights at the Ogden Theater, and the only night with available tickets. 8PM, 16+, $30.
• Fire In The Asylum w/Devoutcast, Fire Aweigh, Extreme Turbo Smash @ Moe’s Original BBQ and Bowl – 9PM, 16+, $5.
• Hell’s Belles w/ MF Ruckus @ Fox Theater (Boulder) – The premier all-female AC/DC tribute band – 9PM, $18, All Ages.

Saturday, December 3rd, 2011

• I Fight Dragons w/ The Photo Atlas and Monroe Monroe @ AF Rays (Greeley) –  Remind me never to accept an invitation to a dinner party on a Saturday ever again! 9PM, 18+, $13.
• Sun Red w/Popcult and Attic Attack @ Meadowlark Lounge – Well, at least I don’t have to try and choose between this show and the I Fight Dragons show! 9PM, 21+, $?.
• El Toro de la Muerte w/ In The Whale, Mercuria and the Gemstars @ Summit Music Hall – 8PM, 21+, $5.
• Achille Lauro w/ Red Fox @ Hi-Dive – Lizzie Huffman had been scheduled to appear, but has canceled due to personal circumstances. 9PM, 21+, $6.
• Mickey Avalon w/ ManCub and Boyhollow @ Bluebird Theater – 9PM, 16+, $25.
• Scott Kelly (Neurosis) w/ Munly (Slim Cessna’s Auto Club) and Bob Wayne @ Hi Dive – 10PM, 18+, $12.
• The Epilogues w/ Common Anomaly and Flashbulb Fires @ Road 34 (FoCo) – 9PM, 21+, $8.
• Colorado Composer Collective featuring Greg Garrison – Five Denver area composers have composed works to feature Leftover Salmon bassist Greg Garrison along with strings and brass. What a cool idea! 8PM, 21+, $13.
• Social Distortion w/ Suedehead and Chuck Ragan @ Ogden Theater – 8PM, 16+, SOLD OUT.
• Me Talk Pretty w/ Madina Lake, Hell or Highwater, and more @ Gothic Theater – 6PM, 16+, $13.

Sunday, December 4th, 2011

• I Fight Dragons w/ SkyFox and Mr. Right – 8PM, 16+, $15.
• Deas Vail w/Sick of Sarah and Now, Now @ Hi Dive – 9PM, 18+, $10.
• Social Distortion w/ Suedehead and Chuck Ragan @ Ogden Theater – 8PM, 16+, SOLD OUT.

Weekend Preview: November 17th – November 20th, 2011

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

Thursday, November 17th, 2011

• Fishbone w/ The Dendrites and Bop Skizzum @ Cervante’s Other Side – The Fishbone documentary “Everyday Sunshine” will be shown at 7:30PM followed by a Q&A with the band.  Live performances will start around 9:30. I’m looking forward to seeing Bop Skizzum’s new leading lady Julie Almeria for the first time! 7:30 PM, All Ages, $18.
• Empires w/ Wire Faces and Greenery Book Club @ Larimer Lounge – Larimer Lounge will be rocking with Chi-Town’s Empires and FoCo’s Wire Faces. 8:30 PM, 21+, $10.
• Michal Menert w/ Gramatik @ Fox Theater (Boulder) – Catch the Pretty Lights collaborator and co-producer Menert at The Fox. Sure to be hot and sweaty. 9PM, All Ages, $20.

Friday, November 18th, 2011

• In The Whale w/ Loom and Be The Ant @ AF Ray’s (Greeley) – I wonder what it would feel like to be the ant in the whale. 9PM, 18+, $5.
• Shwayze w/ Cobraconda and Mod Sun @ Cervante’s Other Side – I loved Shwayze in “Point Break”. Just kidding – this Cali duo is chill. Unlike Cobraconda, who sweat a combination of PBR and stripper glitter. 9 PM, All Ages, $18.
• Bonnie & The Beard w/ Special Guests @ Lion’s Lair – B&B headline the 1st Annual Girl Wreck Fest. See four of Denver’s hottest female-fronted bands. 9PM, 21+, $6.
• Caramel Carmela w/ Kill Paradise, Places, and Fulcrum @ Marquis Theater – 7:30PM, All Ages, $10.
• Wax Trax Benefit Show with Party Hard, The A-OK’s, and More @ Moe’s Original BBQ & Bowl – 8:30PM, All Ages, $10.
• Elephant Revival w/ SHEL @ Bluebird Theater – Indie/Americana straight outta Nederland, CO. 9PM, 16+. $20.
• Royal Bangs w/ Bear Hands @ Hi-Dive – These bands put on two of the most attended gigs at this summer’s Underground Music Showcase. A killer double-bill! 9PM, 18+, $12.
• Zed’s Dead @ Ogden Theater – The Toronto dubstep duo plays the first of two nights at the Ogden Theater. Different supporting lineups each night. Word. 9PM, 16+, $26.
• Anchorage w/ Forty Fathoms, Parallels, More! @ Summit Music Hall – 7PM, All Ages, $8.
• Tedeschi Trucks Band w/ JJ Grey @ Gothic Theater – 8PM, 16+, $50.

Saturday, November 19th, 2011

• Air Dubai w/ The Food Chain & Cobraconda @ Fox Theater (Boulder) – I was hoping to finally see Reno Divorce tonight, but all my friends are going to be here so… 9PM, All Ages, $14.
• Reno Divorce w/ MF Ruckus and Mad Dog & The Smoking J’s @ Herman’s Hideaway – 7:30PM, 21+, $10.
• Dirty Backseat Lovers and Demon Funkies CD Release Party w/ Brent  Loveday @ Soiled Dove Underground – Two Denver rock bands celebrate simultaneous release (pause) of their respective CD’s.  Iron man Brent Loveday will put in a solo performance before fronting Reno Divorce at Herman’s later in the night. Coooool! 8PM, 21+, $10-15.
• Little Scream w/ Bobby and Sarah Slaton @ Larimer Lounge – I wuv you, sarah! 7:30PM, 21+, $13.
• Calling Out West w/ Calibrate Me and More @ Moe’s Original BBQ and Bowl – Sorry, Calling Out West. I know I’ve promised to come check you guys out. But just look at the schedule for today! It’s crazy stacked! I’ve got two words for Calibrate Me: “chromatic” “tuner”. lulz. 9PM, 16+, $5.
• Wheelchair Sports Camp w/ Special Guests @ Hi Dive – 9PM, 18+, $6.
• Elephant Revival w/ Steep Canyon Rangers @ Bluebird Theater – Steve Martin’s backup band opens for Elephant Revival. 9PM, All Ages. $22.
• Corey Taylor (of Slipknot and Stone Sour) @ Gothic Theater – The singer will perform songs from throughout his career and answer questions from the audience. Neat! 9PM, All Ages, $28.
• Blessthefall w/ The World Alive + More @ Marquis Theater – 6PM, All Ages, $16.
• Plaid  w/ Hollidayrain and Water Babys @ Bluebird Theater – 9PM, 16+, $16.
• PANTyRAID w/ Nit Grit @ Fillmore Auditorium – 7:30 PM, 16+, $35.

Sunday, November 20th, 2011

• Priory w/ Reviving Cecilia and Jesse Manley Band @ Hi Dive – Gotta see Reviving Cecilia again. Those Eisley-like vocals just make me feel all gooey inside. 9PM, 21+, $7.
• Tommy & The High Pilots w/ In The Whale @ Moe’s Original BBQ & Bowl – I’ll probably shoot back and forth between Hi Dive and Moe’s. 9PM, 16+, $5.
• Afton Showcase w/ All Waffle Trick, Say Yes, Top Hat Manifesto, Liberator, MIX Music, SET IN MOTION, Fall Line, Paige Barret @ Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom. 6:30PM, All Ages, $12.
• Sting @ Wells Fargo Theater – Heard of him? This tour is to celebrate his 25th anniversary as a solo artist! He formed The Police 10 years before that! Amazing. 8PM, All Ages, $Arm-$Leg

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.

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.