The ukulele can be a played out affectation these days but Josie Dunne has made it into a vehicle for setting the perfect sonic accompaniment to nuanced, mixed emotions. It helps to render the melody luminous alongside her gentle vocal cadences and taste synth like a breeze one imagines the figure in the video would encounter on her ride to sort out her thoughts and feelings on a nice day when peace of mind allows the room for exploring your real feelings rather than what you think they should be or what you’re told they should be when you can take the luxury of getting outside your usual contexts and confines. The simple elements come together so well including the video in which nothing seems to happen that it highlights Dunne’s tenderly thoughtful lyrics. The original is a solid pop song but this alternate version of “Same” is striking. Watch/listen to the video below and to keep up with Dunne you can visit her website josiedunne.com and find her through the usual social media channels.
From the opening strains of “Storm” by Mazeppa you can tell you’re in for something different from the realm of modern psychedelic rock. The instrumentation and sweeping dynamics is cinematic in a way reminiscent of Scott Walker’s solo albums Maurice Jarre’s soundtrack work for Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago. It is not in that long form but the creative vision behind the track is aiming for something more than just a four minute fifty-six second psych rock song. The rich emotional colorings and the impression that you’re getting a glimpse into more mythical human experiences. Side note: Maurice Jarre is the father of synth pioneer Jean-Michel Jarre. The Israeli band named itself after a Lord Byron poem about the Seventeenth Century Ukrainian leader Ivan Mazepa so there’s bound to be a bit of myth making and grander than average storytelling. That and the fact that singer/musician Michal Perez Noy started the group to write songs by Rainer Maria Rilke. None of these details and speculations are necessary to appreciate the lush gorgeousness of the song that seems to sound timeless in a period when there is a lot of imitation in psychedelic and modern progressive rock and few as orchestral as Mazeppa. The group is planning for a debut album release in September 2019 but for now you can sit back and let your imagination engage with “Storm” below. Links to follow the band its goings on below the song embed.
Tom Crandles (also of Au.Ra) has been writing music under the moniker Prudence of late. The new single “Sound of Your Voice” from the Major Tom EP has an utterly entrancing decadent, world-weary quality reminiscent of pre-post-rock Mark Hollis with Talk Talk and Mindbomb period The The. The subtle bass line works to accent the downbeats in a way that gives the song a heaviness that could be gloomy but instead accentuates the emotional complexity of a song that seems to be about resignation at thwarted yearnings and a rare admission of male vulnerability in a rock song. The rest of the EP has a similarly beautifully melancholic quality but an undeniable crackle of energy underneath a layer of introspective moods. The Major Tom EP recently released as a cassette and digitally through prudenceprudence.bandcamp.com/album/major-tom. If you’ve been a bit jaded by the wave of same-y darkwave and minimal synth-laden post-punk but looking for something that satisfies what the best of that music supplies, listen to “Sound of Your Voice” below and then give Major Tom a good listen. Its richness of layers, textures, tones and modes will not disappoint.
On Franc Cinelli’s new single “Horses” the songwriter creates not just a wistful emotional snapshot for the listener, he evokes a time in North American musical history when the the rules for art, film and music was less bound to strict styles and sounds. The spaces Cinelli leaves in the music aren’t all occupied and when they are it’s a fleeting and transporting mellotron line that both makes the melody transcendent and let’s you back into the feeling of reverie, romance and acceptance of love lost that Cinelli conveys so well throughout the song. Cinelli will release his new album Night Songs in September 2019 and until then will release a new song every two weeks. For now you can listen below and follow Cinelli’s progress toward the new record/explore further the songwriter’s work at franccinelli.com.
Troy Meadows is the project name for the songwriting of D. Klein from North Jersey. The song “People Can Change” is remarkable for its unusual arrangements and insistent percussion, which can be an odd listen at first but the textures have a charm that jibes well with the almost shouted, clipped vocal line. In some ways it’s like if the Minutemen had done a Bruce Cockburn cover or Bill Callahan after a Trout Mask Replica bender. The guitar cadence initially seems at odds with every other element but the masterfully accented, interlocking rhythms gives the impression of compound time also giving it hypnotic quality that is so not obvious it’s only after listening to the song at least a couple of times that it hits you. The album from which “People Can Change” hails is 2018’s Adelaide and you can delve more into Klein’s unique musical vision at troymeadowsmusic.com and troymeadows.bandcamp.com.
Who can’t relate to Tash’s words in her new song “Dreaming” in which she sings of regret wishing the mysterious experience in question had only been a dream. The song is introspective and smoky, Tash’s expressive vocals are mildly breathy and reminiscent of Fiona Apple-esque at her jazzy best. The musical accompaniment a sort of progressive, smooth jazz with plucked, minimal guitar lead underneath a gentle strum that holds the rhythm almost as much as the beautifully accented drumming. The subtle phasing in the ultra tasteful processing of sounds gives the song a timeless quality like Tash could have been touring with Sade in the 80s or performing in a hip after hours club at the space port of an intergalactic hub. Exotic yet familiar, this downtempo gem seems like a perfect song for a spring afternoon post-rain shower. With the song produced and arranged by Mark J. Feist (who has produced for, oh, Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, Tyga and many others not to mention his impressive songwriting credentials), it will hopefully find a wider audience outside Tash’s home country of Australia. Take in the song for yourself below.
Kin Capa, The American Opera, Act One cover (cropped)
Lee Capa is a multi-instrumentalist and singer whose band Kin Capa recently released its debut album in March 2019. Titled The American Opera Act One, the record isn’t just a sampling of urban American experience with its complexities and challenges rendered with a spirit of yearning to comprehend one’s place in the great big mess while maintaining one’s passion and integrity. The song “Sum1” (listen below) caught my attention because it’s simply a great, jangle-y power pop song that takes some sonic chances with established form including an almost background guitar sound in lightly distorted phasing that gives the track a sense of disorientation but one in which one can let go and trust in one’s instincts and the impermanence of every situation in a fast-moving world to carry the day. The punchy percussion and Capa’s emotive quaver reinforces the perfect impression of bravery in the face of seemingly never-ending uncertainty. Fans of The Raspberries and Dave Edmunds may enjoy this one greatly. The American Opera Act Two is due in the summer. Visit kincapa.com to follow the band’s future adventures in imaginative, finely crafted pop.
What:Hieroglyphics w/Rap Noir, Stoney Hawk, S.A.V.E.1, Mike Wird, LoS, Stonewall BLVD When: Friday, 05.31, 8 p.m. Where: Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom Why: Hieroglyphicsfrom Oakland, California and have long been one of the most influential groups in underground hip-hop. Comprised of Del the Funky Homosapien, Casual, Pep Love, Domino, DJ Toure and the four members of Souls of Mischief (Phesto, A-Plus, Opio nd Tajai), Hieroglyphics operate in a way that’s classic, old school hip-hop, composing using a sort of free form jazz style with sampling and vocals and more experimental production and the feel of a 70s exploitation film but one where maybe the music was made by a Gil Scott-Heron and Lee Scratch Perry collaboration. This show will include all original members so you’ll get to see some of the sharpest and most deft wordplay in the game.
What:Chromeo, Thievery Corporation, Big Freedia, Adeline, Peanut Butter Wolf When: Friday, 05.31, 5 p.m. Where: Red Rocks Why: Electro soul stars Chromeo seem to bring their bombastic, weirdo new wave pop to Red Rocks every summer and consistently bring artists that will push their fans’ collective music brains beyond their current bounds. This time basically co-headlining with downtempo dub duo Thievery Corporation. More on the outside of the loose realm of music in which the aforementioned operate are Big Freedia and Peanut Butter Wolf. The former is an icon of New Orleans sissy bounce. Which is a really abstract way of saying that Big Freedia is a charismatic and highly energetic performer whose performances blur the line between sissy bounce, noisy industrial dance and a kind of what might be called punk dub. It’s impossible to ignore and may alienate some people with how strange it is to some sensibilities but also one of the most powerful things you’ll get to see at Red Rocks this summer. Peanut Butter Wolf is the founder of experimental hip-hop/electronic music/post-punk imprint Stones Throw, which has regularly issued some of the most fascinating music of the past 23 years.
Saturday | June 1
Dead Milkmen, photo by Jessica Kourkounis, 2014
What:Goth Prom 4 featuring Assemblage 23, DJs Kilgore, Slave1 and Dutch Confetti When: Saturday, 06.01, 5 p.m. Where: EXDO Events Center Why: This year’s edition of Goth Prom will be headlined by EBM/Future Pop legend Assemblage 23. The Seattle-based group has managed to consistently make emotionally honest and compelling music in a realm of industrial dance that is often basically unconscious self-parody that aims to be edgy and dark but misses the mark more often than not. At least Assemblage 23 songs are well-written and seem more aimed to evoke a headspace and mood rather than adherence to tropes.
What:Dead Milkmen w/Granny Tweed When: Saturday, 06.01, 8 p.m. Where: Gothic Theatre Why: Dead Milkmen were an irreverent punk band from a time when a lot of punk and hardcore was taking itself entirely too seriously. But Dead Milkmen stretched the boundaries of 80s punk by observing few conventions beyond an iconoclastic spirit.
What:Painting With Statue, Echo Beds, DJ Pop CTRL and Animal / object When: Saturday, 06.01, 9 p.m. Where: Rhinoceropolis Why: Painting With Statue is a trio from California that makes noise via what sounds like analog field recording manipulation, sampling and raw low end and white noise. Animal / object is Colorado’s premier avant-garde spontaneous composition band. Who knows what DJ Pop CTRL will be this time other than weirdo folk pop. Echo Beds rarely plays now due to work on its new record so here’s a now rare chance to see the organic-industrial, noisy post-punk legends in the flesh and steel.
What:Summitus Kitharlogus When: Sunday, 06.02, 6 p.m. Where: Rhinoceropolis Why: A left of field guitar mini fest with performances by or featuring: Weasel Tears, Equine, Amos Helvey, Adam Selene, Lepidoptera, Farrrell Lowe, Joe Mills, Sean Patrick Faling-sonic friction guitarworks, Prayer Hands, Death In Space, Saduwu, Brother Saturn, Sean Mlekush, Space Geist, Bradley Franlik Santulli, Broken Guitar Ensemble, BentonamO, bios+a+ic, Night Grinder.
What:Whiskey Orphans, Slow Poisoner and Universal Devils When: Sunday, 06.02, 8 p.m. Where: Lion’s Lair Why: Whiskey Orphans sounds like the name suggests. Fortunately, that means more than hard drinking Americana. There is also a touch of sensitivity and wistfulness underlining the sparse melodies. Universal Devils is Tricky Dick Wickett’s one-man metallic singer songwriter project and more odd and original than those mere words could convey.
Monday | June 3
KEN mode, photo by Brenna Faris
What:KEN mode w/Abrams, BleakHeart and Ten Foot Beast When: Monday, 06.03, 8 p.m. Where: Hi-Dive Why: KEN mode is a metallic, noisy, post-hardcore band whose name is a shortened version of “Kill Everyone Now mode” and in terms of blowing up a groove and cutting a riff into relentlessly jagged pieces, the band has done plenty of that in the more absurdly humorous over-the-top abstract sense. It’s latest album Loved from 2018 has song titles that read like chapters in the diary of a nihilistic misanthrope. For example: “Doesn’t Feel Pain Like He Should,” “The Illusion of Dignity,” “Learning To Be Too Cold” and “Fractures in Adults.” Given the title of the record one has to respect the dark sense of humor informing all of it including the creepy album cover. Fans of Unsane and Jesus Lizard will find much to like here.
Tuesday | June 4
Slim Cessna’s Auto Club circa 2017, photo by Tom Murphy
What:Slim Cessna’s Auto Club with Kid Congo Powers & The Pink Monkey Birds When: Tuesday, 06.04, 7 p.m. Where: Ivywild School Gymnasium Why: Slim Cessna’s Auto Club, the long-running alt-country act from Denver, brings its Vaudeville west and vibrantly emotional and lively performance to Colorado Springs along with Kid Congo Powers & The Pink Monkey Birds. Powers was once a member of Gun Club, The Cramps and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, among others, and with the Pink Monkey Birds he brings a lifetime of stories, insight and masterful songwriting to making his own music with a body of work as worthy as anything else in which he’s been involved.
Wednesday | June 5
Snails and Oysters circa 2015, photo by Tom Murphy
What:Weird Wednesday: Gothsta, Snails and Oysters and Little Fyodor solo When: Wednesday, 06.05, 9 p.m. Where: 3 Kings Tavern Why: This month’s editon of Weird Wednesday maintains peak weirdness with Gothsta who does odd keytar pop songs. Then again, if keytar is involved it’s going to be strange but that just enhances the bizarro nature of the music anyway. Plus some legit keytar covers of songs you wouldn’t expect to hear from her unless you’ve been listening to The Space Lady and not even then. Snails and Oysters is Joe Mill’s solo avant-garde/ambient guitar project in which his combines textures and moods to weave a unique soundscape. Little Fyodor is kinda King Weirdo in Denver and has been for decades going from tape collage/manipulation project Walls of Genius to Little Fyodor and Babushka Band. When a lot of punk is fairly conformist, Fyodor is decidedly not that with a visual presence and songwriting diversity and acumen that is so punk it should be its own subgenre with a clever name you won’t read here because Fyodor is also fairly difficult to pigeonhole as merely punk.
What:Judas Priest w/Uriah Heep When: Wednesday, 06.05, 7:30 p.m. Where: Broadmoor World Arena Why: Judas Priest started in 1969, a year after Black Sabbath formed. But unlike the latter Priest came into its own shortly before the release of its debut album, 1974’s Rocka Rolla. By then iconic vocalist Rob Halford brought his elemental, wide-ranging singing to the band and guitarist Glenn Tipton joined and with K.K. Downing gave the group its signature two guitar sound that gives its music a dynamism and depth that has been influential on many heavy metal and hard rock bands since. After the debut album, Judas Priest embarked on a series of genre-defining records starting with 1976’s majestic Sad Wings of Destiny. The group weathered the manufactured scandals of the 80s when would-be censors targeted the band, and a broad range of other artists, for the corruption of youth and suicide. Judas Priest’s often remarkably thoughtful and in recent years as heavy metal has become embraced by a more mainstream audience the group’s vivid storytelling and energy is finding an audience with a new generation of fans.
Opening the show is Uriah Heep who are arguably the progenitors of a style of melodic boogie rock and hard psychedelia that has been heavily influential on a younger generation of heavy metal musicians. It, too, started up in 1969 and operated in a similar milieu of music as the aforementioned Sabbath as well as Deep Purple. Like the latter, Uriah Heep had a prominent keyboard presence in its songwriting and no strangers to songs about wizards, the forces of evil and the life of a hard touring band. But more so than some of the other bands mentioned above, Uriah Heep clearly has a foot in English folk rock that informs its song structures and vocalist Bernie Shaw’s evocative cadence. The group hasn’t done any major touring in years so this is a rare chance to see them live.
“Fetch You Roses” by Sail By Summer has a power and elegance like a late 70s Giorgio Moroder song transmogrified into a melancholic modern pop song. The bright synths, the luminous melody, the emotionally soaring melody and Casio tone arpeggiation recall Neon Indian’s evocation of nostalgia and reverie in “Fallout.” If “Fetch You Roses” is any indication, William Hut and Jens Kristian of Sail By Summer have created a vehicle for transforming personal gloom and regret into uplifting music without dishonoring the feelings and experiences that inspired the song in the first place. Follow and explore the duo’s work further through any of the links below the song.
The beginning of Ghassan’s song “Break Some Shit” has that kind of shimmering bass tone that sounds like you’re about to hear a version of Tricky’s “Black Steel” (which is, of course, a masterful cover of Public Enemy’s “Black Steel In The Hour of Chaos”) but the meditative/metronomic percussion, wind-like, gritty synth swells and expansive dynamics underlying the dark poetry waxing frustrated nearly to the point of nihilism is a bit what it might be like to hear Tom Waits collaborating with MC 900 Ft. Jesus. Industrial, post-punk Americana? With the rippling soundscape, accented beat and expansive sounds, an impending existential, maybe literal, beatdown has rarely sounded so contemplative.
Queen City Sounds and Art 
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