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.

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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. “

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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

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“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.”

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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.

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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.
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“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.

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“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.

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Eufórquestra is a seven-member unit that relocated to Fort Collins, CO in Summer 2008 after spending five years in Iowa City, IA. The band’s own brand of High Intensity Global Dance Music is a percussion and horn driven blend of modern music that fuses afrobeat, reggae, dub, funk, rock, soca and highlife with traditional sounds from Cuba, Brazil, West Africa and beyond. This is cutting edge music that ignites dance floors across the country with a sound that “explodes, dances and melts in your ear with sheer bliss” (Chris M. Slawecki; www.allaboutjazz.com). With three full-length albums to their name and a relentless tour schedule (averaging over 110 shows annually), Eufórquestra has become one of the hottest bands on Colorado’s live music circuit and has created a national presence with performances all over the country at clubs, theaters, community events, and many great festivals including Electric Forest, Wakarusa, moe. Summer Camp, 80/35, Sweet Pea Festival, NedFest, Groovefest, Montana Beer Festival, the Iowa City Jazz Festival and their own Camp Euforia (hosting the 8th annual in 2011). The band has also been fortunate enough to collaborate with and support many other nationally touring artists including Page McConnell of Phish, Kyle Hollingsworth of String Cheese Incident, the Gin Blossoms, The Motet, John Brown’s Body, Toubab Krewe, Great American Taxi and many more. Eufórquestra’s latest studio album “Soup” was released for free online and has been downloaded over 10,000 times since its release in Fall 2009. After adding new members Ben Soltau and Matt Wright (bass and keys, respectively) the band shows no sign of slowing with multiple album and EP releases in the works and busy 2011 tour schedule. Find them online, spread the word, see them live and find out what they put in that Soup…

Euforquestra with host, Andrew Schneider

Eufórquestra is:
Mike Tallman (Guitar/Mandolin/Vocals)
Ben Soltau (Bass/Vocals)
Matt Wright (Keys)
Adam Grosso (Drums)
Matt Grundstad (Percussion/Vocals)
Ryan Jeter (Tenor Saxophone/Vocals)
Austin Zaletel (Alto Saxophone/Vocals)

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Chimney Choir at KRFC. From left - Carl Sorensen, David Rynhart, Kris Drickey & Kevin Larkin

“Since forming in December of 2010, Chimney Choir has released two EPs and embarked on four tours in the US. Although steeped in American and World folk music, the trio is not afraid to experiment – embracing psychedelic synths, performance art, and found percussion (including a Samsonite suitcase, ladder, and a typewriter). Chimney Choir is a true collaboration – members change instruments, blend their voices in harmony, and share lead vocal and songwriting. The critically acclaimed (feather) EP was recorded in an architectural antique warehouse, which gives a hint at the unique character of their sound. Their second EP, (turtle), was released only 3 months later. The new live album, (ladder), was recorded in front of an audience in an old pipe organ chapel and will be released on February 25. The band will be touring throughout the States and Europe in the coming months.”

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