SHEL is…

•  Sarah (Violin, Bass) Immensely gifted as a violinist and vocalist, Sarah also shines with her bass chops. She is the primary designer of SHEL’s original graphics and videography. She is also the undisputed ambassador of fun at every show!

• Hannah (Piano, Keyboards) An award-winning young composer and pianist, Hannah sings and helps arrange SHEL’s unique vocal harmonies. She studied piano performance and composition at Colorado State University.
• Eva (Mandolin, Electric Mandolin, Cello) Lead vocalist and one of the primary writers, Eva plays both acoustic and electric mandolin, and is involved in every phase of arranging and production. Eva records much of the band’s tracks in their home studio.
• Liza (Drums, Percussion) Equally proficient on the Djembe and Roland HandSonic drum, Liza’s natural polyrhythmic ability was spotted at an early age. Her creative approach to percussion enables her to create the unique rhythmic patterns that help define SHEL’s music.

SHEL with Host, Elizabeth Hudetz, at KRFC 88.9FM Radio

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Leelah with L@L Host that day, Malini Bartels
Not pictured: Drew Jostad|Sound Engineer

Leelah (LILA, sanskrit for “The Play of Life”) is an all original world beat spiritual rock band with Gwyn Tash, Jake Van Vonderen, Bruce Bertea, Kenny Workman and Duffy Laudick. The essence of Leelah is to invoke a spiritual connection to Divine through devotional lyrics and self inquiry. An eclectic blend of musicians and musical backgrounds create a band whose music is an artful expression of healing, growth and the mystical.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Kate Graves

“Kate Graves writes little songs.. Sometimes they are sparse…sometimes filled with lots of little words.  Often they are written about things like tasting sweet orange  on your lips and wanting to kiss someone so that they might experience tasting sweet orange on their lips.

Kate Graves likes kissing. And singing.  She hopes you will listen in and sing along.”

Kate joins us in the studio with Colorado’s own Jami Lunde & Jamie Mitchell.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

WhiteWater Ramble is:  Patrick Sites – Mandolin/Vocals,  Patrick Latella – Acoustic Guitar/Vocals, Howard Montgomery – Upright Bass/Vocals, Zubulon Bowles – Fiddle/Vocals, Paul Kemp – Drums

“Described as High-Octane Rocky Mountain DanceGrass, Whitewater Ramble (WWR) uses a simple recipe to craft its sound: start with bluegrass instrumentation, add drums, and finish with a boundary-less approach to grassing-up everything from disco house grooves to roots to Americana.

The Colorado-bred quintet combines the elements of mandolin, fiddle, acoustic guitar, upright bass, drums and vocals to explore the musical boundaries of multiple genres and to fuel their own mixture of original music and innovative cover song interpretations. Whether playing an intimate encore, acoustic and unplugged in the crowd, or surfing on top of the upright bass, Whitewater Ramble delivers a powerful and memorable live performance.Based in Fort Collins, CO, WWR has performed and headlined on every major stage across the Rocky Mountain Region. With over 900+ performances under their belt, the group has truly established themselves as one of the hardest working groups in the jam scene today. “

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

“Singer. Songwriter. Folk and Rock musician. Michael Kirkpatrick is a modern day minstrel. He sings about nature, dreams and sensuality. The original music comes to you straight from Michael’s soul–unfiltered, passionate and true. Michael often covers other artists material, but only after finding that special character that makes the song his own.

Michael’s main instruments of choice to accompany his rich bass voice include the acoustic guitar and mandolin–although he has been seen with electric guitars, lap steel guitar, the sitar, hammered dulcimer and electric mandolin. Aside from performing as a solo artist, you can catch Michael on stage with his Folkadelic Rock band The Holler!”

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Robert Cline Jr. at KRFC Radio
Photo courtesy of Angel Mountain Media

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Happy Holidays from Fierce Bad Rabbit
Photos courtesy of Darren Mahuron

“Fresh, energetic and intelligent, Fierce Bad Rabbit takes you on a journey so interesting that you don’t want it to ever end. From the opening notes of “Everything Is Alright”, the first track on their eponymous debut EP, through the infectious melody and lyrics of “YOU!” off of their 2012 EP, “Live and Learn,” you know you’re in for something new and captivating. Tightly woven tapestries of notes and well-crafted lyrics delivered with disciplined passion by frontman Chris Anderson, who also plays guitar and keyboards, combined with the powerful yet perfectly nuanced viola and supporting vocals of Alana Rolfe, the rock-solid rhythmic backbone of Dayton Hicks on bass and Max Barcelow on drums create a constantly changing yet consistently fulfilling musical experience for the listener.

Photos courtesy of Darren Mahuron

The vocals themselves may occasionally make you think that you could be listening to a new project from Brandon Flowers of The Killers or Brian Fallon of The Gaslight Anthem. The band clearly shares the influences of such indie favorites as Arcade Fire and The Shins, and there is a certain kinship with other leading-edge artists like The National, Iron & Wine and Band of Horses. But the music this Ft. Collins, Colorado-based quartet makes is all their own, and the more you hear it the more it comes across as a brilliant amalgamation of many musical styles and structures. Alternately joyful and somber, forceful and laid back, playful and contemplative, their songs challenge you to decide whether you should stand and listen intently or grab the person next to you and dance the night away.

Formed in 2009, the band released two solid recordings in scarcely more than a year: the self-titled debut EP and a full-length, 15-song sophomore effort, “Spools of Thread”. After making an immediate impact on the increasingly sophisticated and crowded Colorado music scene, playing to packed houses at local hot spots in Ft. Collins, Denver and elsewhere and drawing large crowds at busy festivals like the Westword Music Showcase and UMS, the band is now touring extensively, including appearances at America’s preeminent independent music gathering, South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, the storied Viper Room in Los Angeles, California, and many, many more.

Listen once and you’ll be impressed. Listen again — and see them perform live — and you will be a fan. From that point on you’ll want to see them again and again, and you’ll join the growing ranks of people eager to see what happens next for this talented group called Fierce Bad Rabbit.”

Find FBR at www.facebook.com/fiercebadrabbitmusic  or www.reverbnation.com/fiercebadrabbit

Photos courtesy of Darren Mahuron

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

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

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