Ani DiFranco

Which Side Are You On?

Righteous Babe Records

4.5 out of 5 stars

For many approaching middle age, time can be marked by the proverbial crisis. But as Ani DiFranco puts it, “If you’re not getting happier as you get older, you’re fucking up.”

Reinforced by a wall of horns and biting overdrive, the song “If Yr Not” is both dark and joyful. It’s less of a self-righteous admonishment than a friendly slap in the face from one who’s learned to take a refreshingly bird’s eye perspective of the world around her.

The album, Which Side Are You On?, was three years in the making, and her first during the Obama Era. Fans who may still be coming to terms with the singer’s odes to love and motherhood, evident on 2008’s Red Letter Year, will probably welcome the balance she has struck between her personal life and a recalibrated political consciousness. The title track, a reworked rendition of the Pete Seeger classic, along with “Amendment,” an extended ode to feminism, deliver her brand of progressivism with a familiar, edgy punch, while songs like “Life Boat,” “Albacore,” and “Zoo” tackle her inner struggles in honest and somewhat melancholy terms.

Remarkably, DiFranco weaves this diverse subject matter into a cohesive narrative flow that isn’t forced, and she rarely comes across as overly jaded. Each vulnerability quickly merges into solid conviction and a search for new resolution. The polemical odes “Splinter,” “J,” and “Promiscuity” bring fresh, even humorous indictments from one who has learned to choose her battles. And while her social criticisms often imply uphill battles, her celebratory spirit and unabashed sweetness on “Unworry” and “Mariachi” show she now solidly occupies a higher ground, both creatively and emotionally. Coupled with her masterful guitar work, and a supporting cast that includes Ivan and Cyril Neville, saxophonist Skerik, and Anais Mitchell, DiFranco offers the perfect antidote to the Obama Era blues.

— Ryan Lappi

:: Ani DiFranco ::

:: w/ Gregory Alan Isakov ::

:: Belly Up :: March 1 ::

:: Boulder Theater :: March 3 ::

:: Aggie Theatre :: March 4 ::

Tennis

Young and Old

Fat Possum Records

3.5 out of 5 stars

Like Caddyshack’s Judge Smails said, “It’s easy to grin when your ship comes in.” And damn if Tennis’s ship doesn’t just keep coming in.

The band already had people falling all over them for their debut release, which grabbed more than 50,000 listens online, and gave them the traction to tour as far away as Moscow. But their sophomore release, which will come out on Valentine’s Day could make their debut look like nothing.

The album was produced by Patrick Carney of The Black Keys and Spin has already said that the new effort is “Almost too good to be true.” Band co-founder and guitarist Patrick Riley said the new album sounds like “Stevie Nicks going through a Motown phase,” but truth be told, the vintage pop sounds more like a speedy garage indie version of Mazzy Star mixed with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

Unfortunately, the hype is bigger than the sound, and singer Aliana Moore is going to need to do a lot to make Denver forget her foot-in-mouth incident of early 2011, when she said in an interview that the city doesn’t have good record stores. In Denver, many love to hate Tennis, but outside of the Mile High City, people seem to love them.

— BFJ

:: Tennis ::

:: Bluebird Theater :: February 16 ::

Los Nombres

Los Nombres

Numero Group

3 out of 5 stars

One part War, two parts Santana, a dash of Motown, immersed in a rich Puerto Rican stock, Los Nombres were the undisputed kings of late-sixties northern Ohio’s rust-belt.

But even as the kings of that time and place, “success” would never be something that the band could boast about — despite a decade-long career, the band never broke out. Thanks, however, to Numero Group’s acquisition of the Boddie Recording Company’s catalog in 2012, and Numero’s continual dedication to the exploration of dusty forgotten titles, Los Nombres is getting the chance to stretch far beyond the boundaries of Ohio.

Los Nombres had made a series of no-budget recordings with both Boddie and Way Out — recordings that captured in lo-fi awesomeness the pop-soul sound that the just-beyond-garage band had crafted. But rather than simply re-releasing the group’s self-titled LP, Numero instead compiled earlier recordings of the album’s track list, which results in an even funkier, more raw sound.

— BFJ

Achille Lauro

Flight or Flight

Hot Congress

3 out of 5 stars

It’s almost ironic that Achille Lauro even needs to ponder the question of fight or flight?

For the last several years, it’s seemed like the band has seen very few situations that would require either. They’ve had heaps of adoring praised lavished upon them by critics and fans.

Regardless, though, the Denver group’s new album examines the question albeit with a twist, suggesting that Flight or Flight should be the only options — “with the freedom to simply fly away from any potential danger.”

The band goes on, in a press release that accompanied the album, to suggest that fleeing leaves you with “just you and your peace and that eagle your [sic] hitching a ride from.” Grammar mistakes aside, the album does take an aerial ride starting with the lead post-rock with vocals track, “Upward Away From The Ground.”

The band’s ska-like song “Low Cha-Cha,” that was the title track of last year’s EP release, follows “Upward…,” and in just those two songs the band showcases a vast diversity of ranges and influences that has helped them to continually earn their tag line, “the sexiest thing to come out of Denver since Don Cheadle.”                                                     — BFJ

:: Achille Lauro ::

:: hi-dive :: February 10 ::

Erik Deutsch

Demonio Teclado

Independent

4 out of 5

Demon might be a bit much, but it’s definitely a monster.

Front Range keyboardist, composer and teacher Erik Deutsch has named his new psychedelic soul jazz disc Demonio Teclado, or “demon keyboard,” but it’s far too smooth and refined to be demonic.

The renowned player, who was part of the Charlie Hunter Trio and has played with other artists as wide ranging as Norah Jones and Shooter Jennings, recorded the album in Brooklyn and it showcases what a monster he is on keys. Deutsch is joined by an ensemble that features Tony Mason, Benjamin Rubin, Jeff Hill, Brandon Seabrook, Glenn Taylor, and Jon Gray.

The disc oozes with a professional flare and highlights some truly excellent compositions and arrangements, with each member of the ensemble carrying ample weight, but all working together to weave a sturdy platform for Deutsch to show his range. From the beautiful ballad “Creepers” to the almost Tool-lie “DDT,” the disc is as good as it is diverse.                                                              — BFJ

:: Erik Deutsch ::

:: Jazz Barn Concert Series :: February 2 ::

:: University of Colorado at Boulder :: February 3 ::

Re:Generation

Five DJs Turn The Table of the History of Music (film)

Directed by Amir Bar Lev

4 out of 5 stars

There are a myriad of sounds in this world that were never intended to go together, but if electronica has shown anything during its meteoric rise to popularity, it’s that sounds that weren’t meant for each other, sometimes work in conjunction as wonderfully as chocolate and peanut butter.

The new film Re:Generation, directed by Amir Bar Lev, forces seemingly disconnected musical genres together the way kids wantonly pair Lego pieces that weren’t ever meant to fit with one another.

In this feature length documentary, Lev puts together a superstar lineup of electronica producers with a superstar lineup from other genres, and sets the stage for the creation of new music by having those producers write and record brand new tracks with a grouping of influential collaborators from that genre. Simply put, Lev is not only pairing together different genres, he’s also pairing together different generations.

DJ Premiere puts rapper NAS in front of the Berklee Symphony Orchestra. The Crystal Method is paired with Martha Reeves of the Vandellas and the Funk Brothers. Mark Ronson is hooked up with Erykah Badu, Mos Def, Trombone Shorty and members of the Dap Kings and Zigaboo Modeliste. Skrillex teams up with Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger along the Venice Boardwalk in Los Angeles and then later collaborates on “Breakin’ A Sweat” with John Densmore for what will amount to the first original recording featuring members of The Doors since An American Prayer was released in 1978. Did you catch that? An electronica documentary is responsible for producing the closest thing we’ve seen to new Doors music in more than 30 years! And finally, Fort Collins’ own Pretty Lights (aka Derek Vincent Smith) finds himself in a Nashville studio with the legendary bluegrasser Dr. Ralph Stanley and Le Ann Rimes.

That pairing in particular, Pretty Lights and Dr. Ralph Stanley, is, I think, one of the most interesting pieces of the film. Smith says in the movie the that he got a sort of “standoffish vibe” from the musicians he was paired with and there’s a palpable awkwardness that the film reveals as Smith stands in front of the Nashville session artists there to accompany the recording and talks to them about the project — the entire time, speaking and moving, almost as if he’s rapping. He said that he thinks those musicians were probably saying to themselves: “Who’s this dude with the baggy pants and the slightly sideways hat looking like a… This guy is a producer?” Smith goes on to admit that he had a “hard time visualizing a fusion of my style with that sound.”

There’s almost a lack of reverence by Smith for Stanley that is captured in the film, when Smith asks Dr. Stanley to put a bit more of a Burl Ives melodic spin on the classic tune “Wayfaring Stranger.” The short in stature Stanley looks up at the towering Smith and simply, but powerfully says, “I’d rather just do it my way.”

However, despite those awkward moments, Smith goes on to produce a fantastic modern spin on the old classic song. Stanley’s haunting voice, coupled with a high and twangy, pulp fiction adaptation by LeAnn Rimes, all overtop of an incredible club beat, and mixed with ample slide guitar licks is a perfect example of blending genres and generations — precisely what Re:Generation set out to do.

— BFJ

:: Re:Generation film premiere::

:: AMC Highlands Ranch 24 :: February 16 ::

Big gigantic

Nocturnal

Independent

4 out of 5 stars

Every year since its formation in 2008, Big Gigantic has grown by leaps and bounds that are as large as the band’s name. And two weeks into 2012 the band will set the stage for yet another explosive year by releasing its newest studio effort Nocturnal.

The Boulder electronica duo, which the LA Times called “high-altitude club bangers,” have, since their inception, focused on interpreting traditional DJ-based music through live instruments, and it’s a formula that has propelled the group’s rise from small club gigs to massive festival and headlining spots. With this release, the group — made up of saxophonist/producer Dominic Lalli and drummer Jeremy Salken — stretches its influences even further into the DJ world by adding dub, hip-hop, funk and many other levels of electronic dance music.

Big G are masters of “the explosion” and the opening track “The Uprising” is a testament to that. Starting things off with a melodic synth line, the band quickly shifts through its lower gears and just after the one-minute mark Big G slams the turbo button with its beats, reaches its maximum volume output and hits its stride amidst a torrent of sounds that conjures visions of insane light shows and hands thrust toward the speakers.

So it goes for much of the album — melodic build to a climax, giant release and repeat.

Shockingly, throughout all of this, neither Lalli, nor Salken’s live instrumentation get lost in the production mix. Lalli, who last year told The Marquee, “I’m a sax player in a DJ world,” proves once again that he’s breaking new ground by fusing vibrant melodies and improvisational sensibilities back into electronic music. His playing is spot on, tastefully sparse at some moments, but dialed in throughout the disk. Likewise, Salken is a human metronome, comfortable whether the song is hitting only 50 beats per minute, or when it’s skyrocketing to 150 beats per minute or more.

Lalli told the LA Times, “This album is definitely an attempt to capture how we’ve evolved as a live act over the last year.” They wildly succeed in that attempt, but really, the only weak spot of the project is that the album is an actual album. No matter how much the recording urges fans to fist pump and get down, the album will never live up to the stature of Big G’s live shows — no album of theirs ever could. That’s not a slight on their recording abilities, it’s a nod to their prowess as a live act.                                                                                        — BFJ

:: Big Gigantic ::

:: Belly Up :: January 18 ::

:: Aggie Theater :: January 19 ::

:: Boulder Theater :: January 20 ::

:: Ogden Theatre :: January 21 ::

Jerry Jams for Rex II

Various Artists

nugs.net

3.5 out of 5 stars

This second heady collection of Grateful Dead classics, being performed live by some of the greatest bands in today’s jam scene, is an album that could have never come from a major label. Certainly had a major tried to put out Jerry Jams for Rex II, they would have thrown in Dead “hits.” But the fact that this was put together by Brad Serling of nugs.net, is apparent by the deeper tracks that they sought out. There’s not one “Casey Jones,” “Friend of the Devil” or “Touch of Grey” anywhere on this, and that’s what makes it good.

Some of the collection’s highlights are STS9 playing an electronica version of “Shakedown Street,” Railroad Earth doing a phenomenal version of “The Wheel,” Widespread Panic churning a 10 minute-plus version of “Fire On the Mountain,”  Colorado’s own Yonder Mountain String Band and String Cheese Incident playing back-to-back selections with Yonder tackling “Althea” and Cheese handling “Deal,” and ALO capping the set with a 12 minute “They Love Each Other” (available only as a bonus track on the download, but not on the CD).

There are a couple of volume hiccups on the release, as all of the songs come from different original sources, but that aside, the compilation is wonderfully and delicately presented. The CD is only available on nugs.net, but nugs is also offering multiple download options, and the effort is also available on iTunes.

All proceeds are a contribution to the Rex Foundation, the charitable non-profit which the Grateful Dead started nearly 30 years ago to fund grassroots programs.

The Longest Day of the year

Turn Into the Ground

Mulewax Music

3 out of 5 stars

Boulder’s The Longest Day Of The Year (TLDOTY) throw “alt” or “outlaw” in front of country when describing their music, but truth be told, those words are unnecessary.

The music itself might sound like some gritty modern version of Uncle Tupelo, but vocalist “t.Mule,” aka Sean Lamborne, has a gravelly growl that gives TLDOTY a feeling that the music is from several decades ago. It’s good, but it’s such a powerful voice that it often overshadows the musicianship, sort of like the vocals from J. Roddy Walston and the Business. Nonetheless, the songwriting is strong and the album is a solid debut for the group.

:: Star Bar :: January 14 ::

:: Stage Stop :: January 15 ::

:: Left Hand Brewing :: January 22 ::

:: Lazy Dog :: January 28 ::

Bradley Wik and the Charlatans

Burn What You Can, Bury The Rest…

Independent

4 out of 5 stars

All of the artists that have struggled and toiled to release their debut album must hate Bradley Wik and the Charlatans, because their debut, due out mid-month, sounds like an effortless undertaking.

Burn What You Can, Bury The Rest… has the feeling of a seasoned group putting out an album so strong that it must have had years of road testing behind it. Falling somewhere between Whiskeytown and Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band, Wik and his Charlatans have wonderfully blended alt country and ’70s rock with Midwest storytelling. The album is sincere, warm, and lush and sets the stage for the group to do wonders from this great starting point.

Full Belly

New Voice

Independent

3 out of 5 stars

No wonder Full Belly is full, their newest album has a staggering 18 tracks on it. Eighteen! That’s insane.

But truth be told, it takes that many tracks to get the feel of the Colorado group. Full Belly’s bottom line is funk, but the group also embraces reggae, ska and rock, or what the band refers to as a “melting pot” of melodies. Full Belly has had some high profile exposure with songs featured on MTV’s “Real World Denver” and spins on Channel 93.3 and the five-piece can hopefully continue that momentum with this release.

:: The Tugboat (Steamboat) :: January 13 & 14 ::

:: Conor O’Neills :: January 26 ::

:: Oskar Blues Homemade Liquids and Solids ::

:: January 27  ::

Andreux and the See of Sounds

Andreux and the See of Sounds

Independent

3.5 out of 5 stars

The first solo project by Frogs Gone Fishin’ frontman Andreux Portwood, Andreux and the See of Sounds is what Portwood calls a “shape shifting album.” The Colorado musician recorded the album in his former hometown of Nashville and took what began as simple guitar songs, before adding some female vocals, digital sounds and horns.

The result is a layered product which approaches the basic song structure as a nearly blank canvas and adds color and richness to it, until the full image is revealed. That image is part singer/songwriter and part indie rock that fuses modern and traditional sounds.