While in Colorado, Judith Avers has consistently rocked the stage or appeared on albums with other great talents including The Fray, Born in The Flood, Yonder Mountain String Band, Hazel Miller, Gregory Alan Isakov, Holly Near, Glen Phillips, John Sebastian, Devotchka, John Magnie (Subdudes), Liz Barnez, Nina Storey, and songwriting legends Gary Harrison, Tia Sillers, Mark Selby, Randy Sharp, Mark D. Sanders, and Gary Chamberlain among others.

Now based in West Virginia, Judith continues to amaze everyone touring nationally with, not only her brilliant songwriting and angelic delivery, but her beauty and grace embodied by the incredible artist she has become. We are thrilled to have her back in the KRFC studio! www.JudithAvers.com

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

“Roop Verma is an internationally respected sitarist, composer and accomplished teacher of Indian Classical and Sacred music. His training comes from two of the greatest masters of our time, Maestros Ravi Shankar and Ali Akbar Khan. He has lectured and taught at major universities on three continents and has delivered celebrated concerts in some of the most prestigious concert halls they have to offer. Among his reputable outreach in music are the healing music and meditation seminars he conducts throughout the world. He has been an honored guest of the Belgian Government and was the featured artist and composer of Acceptance, a work written in commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. His memorable 1997 concert at Berwaldhallen, Stockholm was produced by Swedish National Television and Radio, and has been released as one of his many recordings. His Concerto for Sitar and Orchestra was received with warm appreciation at its premiere, Merkin Hall in New York during November 2006. For its European premiere, the Concerto was performed by the Linkoping Symphony Orchestra of Sweden in September 2007. He composed original music for the documentary film Dalai Lama Renaissance, which received 12 international awards and was also released as a soundtrack. www.dalailamafilm.com In addition to being a resident and visiting professor at the Eastman School of Music and the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Roop Verma is the recipient of the National Endowment for the Humanities Award for 2006 as Distinguished Visiting Professor at Hartwick College. As director of the East-West School of Music in Monroe, New York, he teaches summer and winter courses on the application of science, principles and techniques of Indian classical music to primarily but not limited to Western students of both instrumental and vocal music. An all inclusive course, its participants range from beginner to professional. Roop Verma is considered one of the musical pioneers of neo-impressionism and has established his place in the world of music. The magic of his music is appreciated worldwide, with simplicity portrayed through the peace and healing experienced as a result of his music.”

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Gil Gonzalez and Lisa Wimberger give us Lil Sum’n Sum’n, a duet born out of the collective projects of Kan’nal and Lunar Fire. It is an improvisational psy-trance experience featuring a world beat made up of middle eastern, afro-Cuban, African, and American influences. Haung drums, tablas, doumbeks, dounouns, congas, shakers, udus, drones, ballaphones, and tap dancing drive rhythms that range from primal dance to meditational journeying.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

For this unique Live@Lunch radio show, we feature TWO very different Singer/Songwriters!

Steve Conn (Bio below) coming through Colorado on tour and Colorado’s own Jen Korte joined in song by the luminous Jessica DeNicola  (you may know her from John Common & Blinding Flashes of Light)!

Jen Korte hit the ground running since she first picked up a guitar 9 years ago. Raised in Texas, this 29 year old songstress, had a strong desire to tap into her eccentric Austin surroundings when she was 18. She began teaching herself to play and soon thereafter began playing small gigs in Austin and surrounding areas. Some of her earlier years landed her opening spots for national acts; Tegan and Sara, Melissa Ferrick, and Bitch (formerly of Bitch and Animal). In 2005, she packed whatever she could fit in her car and headed off to Denver, CO and has been there since. Since then, Korte has established her style, her name, and her band, The Loss. She has been nominated as the Denver Westwords Best singer/songwriter of 2008 and 2009 and has played several top venues in Denver including the Bluebird, The Gothic, and The Walnut Room opening for national acts: Chris Pureka, Cameron McGill and What Army, Michelle Malone, The Grand Archives, Red Wanting Blue, and Sarah Jaffe. She has been seen around Denver with local favorites: Gregory Alan Isaakov, Bela Karoli, and playing events for Flobots.org. She has also been seen accompanying Tiny Television as their female vocalist for Noise Pop Festival in San Francisco and Hotel Cafe in Los Angeles, CA. Jen Korte continues to play venues from New York to California and can be seen kicking up dust a few times a year in Austin and the surrounding areas. Someone has said that if “ Nick Drake and Janis Joplin had a love child, Jen Korte would be it.
**************************************************
“Steve Conn may be the best singer you’ve never heard… a stirring vocalist whose voice commands instant attention.” –Lee Zimmerman, No Depression

NASHVILLE—(July 6, 2012) Trade hot days for cool music from Boulder’s most soulful expat. In what’s become an annual celebration of Colorado’s past and present musical talent, singer-songwriter Steve Conn—he of the Louisiana roots, Nashville residence, and work on nine Grammy-nominated records—returns to the Front Range for two performances in August. Conn will play a solo evening of piano and vocals at Avogadro’s Number in Fort Collins on Thursday, August 9, and a concert with band members Chris Engleman on bass, Steve Ivey on drums, and Bob Rebholz on saxophone at Nissi’s in Lafayette on Saturday, August 11. Music Row magazine called Steve Conn “one of the best singers ever to amble into Music City,” and compared his songwriting to Allen Toussaint, Carole King, and Townes Van Zandt. Before Conn settled in Nashville, he made his home in Boulder and Denver, honing and delivering his unmistakable sound at his legendary weekly Sunday night solo spot at the Hotel Boulderado’s Mezzanine lounge, with the New Orleans funk of Gris Gris, and in a two-year stint as eTown’s first musical director.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

The Elders on KRFC 88.9FM Live@Lunch with Cindy Reich of KRFC’s Celtic show, The Long Acre

“Take a group of fine Kansas City musicians with a passion for Celtic music, an Irishman with a love of all things American, and you get a cross-pollination that is high octane and progressive yet rooted in tradition.

What The Elders have created is something unaffected by fads, trends and the giant maw of mind-numbing commercialism – Celtic rhythms and melodies augmented with amped-up roots rock, blazing instrumentals and powerful vocals. But what sets this band apart is their top-notch songwriting. Their original songs are authentic, catchy and durable, while transcending the stereotypical notion of Celtic music.

Brian Baker of PASTE Magazine says it best, “The key to the band’s success is in its flawless blending of the Celtic storytelling tradition with contemporary instrumentation and, perhaps more importantly, their ability to write original songs that sound as timeless and authentic as the ancient jigs and reels that have inspired them.”

In the tradition of folklore that is passed down through the generations, The Elders’ songs tell us stories of people, places and events – some recent, some distant, some real and some imagined. The songs are mystical, comical, political and cultural, while covering a wide variety of topics such as poverty, civil war, family bonds, spirituality, love and friendship.

Since forming in 1998, The Elders have brought their musical mix to pubs, theaters & festivals across the globe. Their fan base is ever-expanding, consisting of people from all walks of life and of all ages. Many of their fans follow the band from gig to gig, sometimes driving for hundreds of miles to see their energetic performances. The band is familiar to many television viewers, thanks to the more than 130 PBS stations across the country that have aired their “Live at the Gem Theater” Concert Special.”

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Beats Noir on KRFC 88.9FM Live@Lunch July 2012

*  Paul Mullikin-Vocals, Keys, Guitar  * JT Nolan-Vocals, Guitars*  Matt Skellenger-Electric Bass  *  Dave Miller-Drumset and Laptop *

“JT Nolan and Paul Mulikin are polar opposites.  They are different in almost every way, which in turn is the inspiration for Beats Noir!

Raised in the back office of his father’s small factory, Nolan was exposed to music through the Chicago bar and club scene at an early age.  Instead of hiring a baby sitter, Nolan’s father packed up his kids and brought them to see some of the best blues and rock Chicago had to offer.   At the age of 13, Nolan finally received his first guitar and made his debut by performing Eddie Van Halen’s “Eruption”.

Meanwhile, Paul Mullikin grew up surrounded by music of a different sort.  His mother and father, a violinist and cellist respectively, saw to it that classical music permeated their west Denver home, and Paul found himself following in their footsteps as he began studying multiple instruments at the age 10. An almost obsessive fondness for music quickly developed, and he made his debut as a percussion soloist with the Colorado Symphony in 1997 at age 13.

The classical prodigy and the gritty guitarist met nearly a decade ago, but they never imagined starting a Hip-Hop project.  In 2010, experimentation began, and the music grew organically as the two passed ideas back and forth. Foundations of infectious beats were made, jazz melodies with bluesy slide guitar were added, a variety of percussion instruments with intricate rhyme schemes met classical piano and riff-heavy rock guitar.   Matt Skellenger added some funky bass lines, soon opposites connected and Beats Noir was born.

The fruits of their endeavors are found in “13 Tracks From The Dark Side of The Beat”, the self-produced and recorded album from Nolan,  Mullikin, and Skellenger.  They find themselves in the company of highly accomplished and equally eclectic musicians. Rounding out the rhythm section is Dave Miller, who is no stranger to experimentation.  Shawn King of Devotchka fame added beats and horn lines.  Flobots producer Kyle Jones added some final touches to the mix.

With the start of 2012, Beats Noir is busy working on a new album and continuing to attract new fans with their electrifying live shows.

Find them on the word wide web at www.beatsnoir.com  * www.reverbnation.com/beatsnoir  *  www.facebook.com/beatsnoir

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Drew Jostad (Sound) with Jim Abraham, Vi Wickam , Brent Hawley and Malini Bartels (Host)

The Vi Wickam Trio is Vi on Fiddle and Vocals, Brent Hawley on Guitar and Mandolin and Jim Abraham on Electric Bass.

Vi  writes,  “Music is in my blood. Every note I play is nourishment.

I came from a musical family; some of my ancestors even have a claim to fame. My Great Grandpa Joseph Wickam was a professional violinist, published composer and teacher. He used popular music of the day to keep the kids interested and inspired. My Great X 3 Uncle George R. Poulton wrote the music to Aura Lea. It’s the melody of Elvis’s Love Me Tender and of Army Blue, still sung at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

I’ve been performing and writing music since before I could read. I began studying composition and arranging in Junior High. Along with my brothers and my dad, The Wickam Family Band even performed regularly on Blinky’s Fun Club, a nationally syndicated TV program shown in 23 states.

My fiddle playing can be heard on a half dozen CD recordings, including two of my own. I’ve played with many different bands throughout the United States, and even briefly in England. I’ve won the Colorado State Championship twice, and been a finalist four times at the Grand Masters’ Fiddler Championship. I’ve also directed the Indiana State Fiddle Contest for the past three years.

My musical tastes span bluegrass to classical to jazz, rock and old-time fiddle. I play guitar, mandolin, bass, and viola, but my main instrument is the fiddle. Regardless of the style of music I am playing, or the instrument, the music is in me, and I am thoroughly in the music.”

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

“Hickman is best known for co-founding the band Cracker. His fiery lead guitar sound and spirited co-writing gave flavor to that band’s alternative radio hits, including Teen Angst, Low, Get Off This, and Eurotrash Girl. Cracker, founded in 1991 with childhood friend David Lowery, has eight full-length releases to date. Kerosene Hat (1994) remains an alternative music collection staple. Lowery and Hickman together are seen as godfathers of the alternative music scene, who turned gently away from plaid-clad grunge in the 1990s with more countrified and bluesy stylings. Their collaboration with the jam-band Leftover Salmon in 2003 further proved that no one genre could contain them. Prior to his tenure in Cracker, Hickman toured as a solo/folk acoustic performer, had a brief stint in the Unforgiven (a tongue-in-cheek-Western guitar rock band), and co-founded the Inland Empire (California) cult band the Dangers. Influenced by punk rock, surf guitar, and true Bakersfield country, Hickman’s sound is often imitated but never perfected by anyone but he and his signature 1978 Les Paul. Occasionally, Hickman ventures away from solo work and Cracker to spearhead side projects, such as All Thumbs Trio (with moe. guitarist Chuck Garvey, and East Coast guitarist Gibb Droll), and Crazysloth, an Arizona-based band. Film and TV work to date include one full film score for the independent River Red, as well as the placement of Lowery/Hickman songs in several popular films.” ~excerpt from Johnny’s “official” bio for the Palmhenge release, courtesy ReviewNetMedia.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

KRFC is a proud sponsor of the 1^st annual Finspiration Festival.  Join KRFC and Stout Studios on July 7^th at the Bar SS for a day full of music including Mama Lenny and the Remedy, The Patti Fiasco, The Lindsey O’Brien band, Constitution, Highway 287, Rosewood Divine and Michael Kirkpatrick of the Holler!

1:30-Michael Kirkpatrick
2:30-Rosewood Divine
3:30- Silent Auction and announcements
4:30-Highway 287
5:45-Constitution
7:00-Lindsey O Brien Band
8:15-Mama Lenny and the Remedy
9:30-The Patti Fiasco

A portion of the proceeds benefit KRFC and Little Ear Machines.  More information is available by calling  206-450-1777.

Jan Garrett and JD Martin are multi award-winning independent singer-songwriters who live and create their music in the heart of the Colorado Rockies near Aspen.  Their music is described as “Rich and intelligent…..a velvet-hammer wake-up call as satisfying to the soul as it is to the ear….. Brilliantly crafted songs to open the heart and refresh the spirit.”

Both Jan and JD are seasoned professional performers, keynote concert presenters, and wise teachers of “Authentic Voice,” “The Soul of Songwriting”, and “Tuning Your Life to the Heart of Harmony.”  Their recordings consistently receive wildly enthusiastic reviews.  In live performance Jan & JD are deeply inspiring, fiery and funny, a compelling blend of luscious vocals, good humor, and masterful lyrics inspired from a broad spiritual perspective. This is soulful feel-good music with depth and integrity, audience satisfaction guaranteed.

Both Garrett & Martin won New Thought Songwriter Tribute Awards in 2006 and 2007.  In 2008 they were awarded top honors in the Indie International Songwriting Competition (in the World category) and also won a Posi Songwriter Award from emPOWER Music & Arts.
~~~~~~~~~
JD Martin is an acclaimed songwriter of 5 Number One and 10 Top Ten country and pop hit singles.  His songs have been recorded by such luminaries as Reba McEntire, Terri Clark, B.J. Thomas, Peter Cetera (from the band Chicago), and the Oak Ridge Boys.  A native of Virginia, JD is a deep heart who knows that the music IS the message.  He has won over 15 ASCAP awards for excellence in songwriting in Nashville and LA.

Jan Garrett is a jazz singer, master vocal coach, poet, wilderness vision quester, meditation student, and (yes) certified laughing instructor who has toured with John Denver, Steve Martin and the Dirt Band, and has appeared on the Tonight Show.  She is listed in the Rolling Stone Who’s Who in Rock & Roll.  A self-proclaimed Alchemedian and mother of identical twin daughters, she believes that “The chance of a lifetime is to be yourself.”

They are joined in the KRFC studio with Gayan Gregory Long on percussion (+storytelling) & Marcy Baruch singing harmony.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download