2013 UMS Wrap Ups, pt. 2

Patrick's take on the UMS.

Essential UMS tools

Ahhh, another UMS in the bag and only now a week later am I feeling fully recovered. As always, it’s four nights in a row of great music, great camaraderie, and a celebration of a great music scene here in a great city. And it’s four nights of staying out later than I planned, which only catches up with me once it’s all over. If you’ve been there, you know how it goes – there’s never just one highlight, it’s a series of small shows that create a sampler platter of bands both local and national that you need to check out at full length next time they’re playing. Even when you attend a full 40-45 minute set, as I did a few times, especially on the opening Thursday festivities, it feels all too short. So a list of highlights of the 27 acts I managed to catch this year – Go Star, Kitty Crimes, Mudhoney, Residual Kid, Wheelchair Sports Camp and more – is only a fraction of what the whole event held. Beyond the music, there’s the social stuff – hanging for beers at Trve Brewery a couple times was as fun as any band I caught, going to a backyard or VIP after-party and just drinking in the sights (and sounds) on the streets all added up to a total experience that no simple concert review could encapsulate. And as always, I have a longer list of bands I intended to see that I didn’t get to see than the ones I got to see. But there’s always next year! And if you haven’t been – well, why the hell not? You don’t even need to know anything about the scene or what bands are cool, just check it out and go with the flow. It’s a guarantee that if you’re a music lover in this city, you’re going to run into people you know and they’ll be on their way to the next show that could be the best thing you’ve seen all year – or maybe it won’t and you’ll all decide to skip on over to the next venue where your new favorite Denver band awaits. Trust me on this one.

DJ Alf featuring guys from Epilogues

So, some impressions – Thursday seems to be turning into the connoisseur’s night. Many of the headlining weekend bands are down there hanging out and partying and listening to everybody else, so it’s very scene-heavy. And just by chance, my two favorite shows I saw all weekend were the first two things I heard this night – Joshua Trinidad’s electric jazz band Go Star, and hip-hop MC Kitty Crimes. Friday I hung with my friend Chris and bumped around all night, with the high point being main stage headliners Mudhoney, who I last saw somewhere back in about 1994 and who are better musicians and performers now than they were then. How much improved musicianship works in favor of a music style that prides itself on being loose and sloppy is of course up for debate. Saturday was an odd mix of styles, from DJ sets to folk to indie rock to hip-hop to avant-garde drones, but that’s just how diverse Denver’s scene is and I’m happy to celebrate it. Cut out for a bit because the Film Center had actress Mink Stole appearing and I couldn’t miss an opportunity to meet her (she was charming). I rolled back afterward and ended up staying out until after 3. That’s just how it goes! Sunday wrapped things up with a great batch of music from Elin Palmer, Residual Kid (amazing!), DirtY Femmes, Joshua Novak, Born in the Flood, and a house party where Ark Life was playing in a backyard. As always, it was another remarkable event and I’m eager to see how next year plays out!

Ark Life has 'em dancing at an after-party

Beth's take on the UMS.

This year was my first time attending the Underground Music Festival and it practically took place in my backyard. I had my booklet handy so that I could follow the times that my favorite bands were playing and to also know when is my 'downtime' to check out other bands that I didn't know yet. This entire plan pretty much went out the window within the first few hours on Friday. Since it was so close to me, I live one block from the main stage at Goodwill, I told all my friends that they could stop over anytime and also that we should get a few 6 packs for my fridge to save a couple bucks when not needing to be at a performance. All in all this plan worked out pretty darn well, as you may imagine. Later on Sunday, I met up with a coworker who had a written out list of the shows he wanted to see and in the time order that they occurred. This is the way that I will be doing it next year, as flipping back and forth between the pages proved to be somehow difficult. The frequent stops at my apt. for potty, water and beer breaks really gave me a sense that it was a great community get together and that my neighborhood was being blessed with so many exciting things (like all the food trucks!) and people that were excited to be out on a great weekend festival.

Joshua Trinidad's Go Star

The top acts that I saw over the weekend were: Dirty Few, Bleached, A. Tom Collins, Dirty Femmes, Residual Kid, Ian Cooke, Cults and Mudhoney. There were many others that I caught a few songs from as I visited the different venues at a leisure pace and I can't wait to do it all again next year, but even better!

Kitty Crimes crowd surfing at Blue Ice

Residual Kid rocked the Hi-Dive

This guy was on the street all weekend, but didn't always have a band to back him

I'd Love to Turn You On #86 - Hot Tuna - Burgers

The Jefferson Airplane had one of the most unique musical equations in the history of rock; with Paul Kantner and Grace Slick’s strident messages of political and social change, Marty Balin’s elevated love songs and the vocal cat and mouse game that the three engaged in, there was nothing quite like it. Underpinning all of it though was a muscular and intelligent instrumental machine powered by bassist Jack Casady and guitarist, vocalist Jorma Kaukonen. When those two started exploring their own musical identities with side group Hot Tuna their first two albums were (Hot Tuna and First Up Then Pull Down) – acoustic then electric live albums respectively – that showcased both musicians’ expertise at synthesizing traditional blues into a very respectful yet exhilarating form of high-energy rock (pretty much as Zeppelin, The Stones, The Yardbirds et al did - except Tuna played it a little closer to the blues vest). With their third album and first studio album, 1972’s Burgers, the duo melded their blues authenticity to the psychedelic craftsmanship they learned in the Airplane with stunning results.

Burgers combines both the acoustic blues finger-picking that Kaukonen perfected as a young folk disciple of the genre (I drove him from Denver to Boulder once after an autograph signing and he told me as a young man (pre-Airplane) he moved to Europe in order to follow blues piano great Champion Jack Dupree on tour and sit at the feet of his idol), with the acid drenched electric soloing of the Airplane’s Haight-Ashbury heyday to create a thrilling new type of music that predicted the folk-rock movement which would dominate popular music for the next decade. Every song on Burgers jumps with the excitement of great songs (six Kaukonen originals and three blues covers) and even better arranging and playing. Opening with Kaukonen’s “True Religion” we get the template for the album going forward. Kaukonen begins with a classic blues finger-picking exercise before the band crashes in with Casady’s crushing bass line and jazz violinist Papa John Creach wailing over the proceedings like a fire and brimstone preacher above a crowd of heathens. Then Kaukonen steps up with the ballsiest of electric solos and we get the idea; this isn’t a blues band or a psychedelic rock band, this is some new thing altogether. “Highway Song” follows with a cosmic, hippie road song that makes one yearn for those days. Again, with great, sympathetic production by the band itself and a cast of Airplane production alumni the music finds a new path, unheard and beautiful. Side one rounds out with a 1920’s blues “99 Year Blues” which is again dominated by Creach’s soaring fiddle work and counter-culture friendly lyrics, then the beautiful “Sea Child” which combines one of Kaukonen’s best lyrics with a blitzkrieg of electric guitar and pounding bass. Kaukonen and Cassidy really do define a certain type of musical excellence and dedication to craft that has all but disappeared from the modern rock landscape.

Side two opens with the FM radio favorite “Keep on Truckin’” which never fails to liven up a party. Kaukonen’s subtle, sardonic vocal suits this tale of bad women gone worse to a tee and Creach’s mercury-like soloing makes this song come loose from the moorings of history and feel like a 1920’s juke joint - that is until Kaukonen comes in with one of his most delicious talking guitar solos - wah soaked and nasty. What follows is an example of why Jorma Kaukonen is considered one of the great guitarists of rock. “Water Song” is a breathtaking acoustic instrumental, in the style of his Airplane classic “Embryonic Journey,” except fully realized with a gorgeous cascade of guitar notes flowing over Casady’s fluid, melodic bass line - it is nirvana! “Ode For Billie Dean” gives Kaukonen and Creach a chance to really wail on the album’s hardest song and one that hints at the proto-metal direction that Hot Tuna would take in the later 70’s. Rounding out the album is a song by one of Jorma’s heroes and another of his best original instrumental pieces. Reverend Gary Davis’ “Let Us Get Together Right Down Here” proves once and for all Kaukonen’s sympathy for the blues as his vocal and guitar performance are exemplary and he still makes room for signature Papa John fiddle work. “Sunny Day Strut” closes the album beautifully with acoustic and electric guitars in perfect harmony with Cassidy’s powerful bass work. It is ominous and uplifting at the same time.

Hot Tuna has continued to tour and record until the present day, and remain a vital musical experience. They have explored many styles from punk to bluegrass, but no single Tuna album strikes as many perfect notes as Burgers. When life is looking grim and it seems like no silver linings will appear, this is one album I can always count on to lift my spirits.

- Paul Epstein

2013 UMS Wrap Ups, pt. 1

"They offered, we said OK." -Mudhoney

Natasha's take on the UMS.

I am still recovering from a great long weekend at the UMS.  This year I tried to focus more on the people that make up this festival than what bands I would see.  I thought if I just let the current pull me, I would see more random moments.  I had a plan to go alone to cover more ground; as I walked by a couple one of the nights, the woman was seething to her man "Oh, it's all about where YOU want to go and what YOU want to see".  Ugh, at that moment I felt so glad I did not make a plan with someone to go to the UMS together. For the first half, I really just spent time people watching and just soaking it all in.  

Dirty Femmes

 By late Sunday I had eyes and ears filled with joy.  Running into old friends is usually an after thought, but this year I was very aware that the UMS is a unique time to catch up with friends, musicians, promoters, photographers and all of the other amazing people that make my life in Denver so rich.  I saw spontaneous dance circles, people hanging out on their decks and watching the main stage from their back yards, old folks grooving to new music, and lots of kids running around.  It really felt like everyone in Denver was there.  One of my favorite stories from the UMS is when a neighbor of the festival hung a banner on their deck inviting Mudhoney over for a drink, and Mudhoney accepted! Twist had a pop-up record store at Fancy Tiger, and that was a total pleasure to work with them.  We sold local and national vinyl, and I loved seeing people wander around the festival with records in Twist tote bags. 

Fancy Roger at Fancy Tiger

There were so many great moments of music but Bleached was my favorite of the national acts; Munly and the Lupercalians was my favorite of the local acts, and Dirty Femmes was great mix of both with Jen Korte and Gordon Gano of the Violent Femmes.  My favorite break away from the festival moment was watching the sunset on the roof top of Irish Rover on Sunday night.  I ran into a great group of friends and met some regular customers who reminded me of some old school Twist and Shout moments with the pranks from Longmont Potion Castle.  It was hot, but the venues provided shade and comfort.  I spent most of my time at the 3 Kings Tavern but I also ventured into new (to me) venues like Blue Ice and Gozo. Thanks to the bands, the venues, the UMS volunteers and mostly the music fans of Denver for being such a great community!

Ian Cooke

Natja's take on the UMS. 

The Whirlwind of UMS kept the city up late, PBR flowing like water and all of our favorite local bartenders safely in their apartments for another couple months. It is, after all, Denver's best block party (that's bigger than a block). 

Per-usual all of our local favorites and even a few not so locals were out in droves. Knowing I'd have limited time I wanted to see as many people as possible. My adventure started at noonish with a cup of coffee and Esme' Patterson...probably one of the best ways to start a Sunday I can think of, and ended with a sake dinner with some sushi on the side. All and all UMS 2013 seemed to be a great success and parachutes full of fun. 

Great music, great people, great bartenders, what else could you ask for?

Thanks to the organizers, the musicians, the sound guys, Fancy Tiger, the crazy Denver fans who have the energy to sustain a truly unique and awesome experience, Twist & Shout appreciates it and so do I.

Chimney Choir @ 3 Kings

Connie Hung of Ivory Circle & The Hornet

Esme Patterson @ The Irish Rover

Esme Patterson @ The Irish Rover

Ghost Towners @ The Skylark

Ginger Whale @ The Irish Rover

Jawmill Joe @ 3 Kings

Megan Burtt & The Cure for Love @ Gozo

Megan Burtt & The Cure for Love @ Gozo

Natalie Tate @ Gozo

Rachel and the Kings @ Goodwill

Rachel and the Kings @ Goodwill

Vega Evega @  Eslinger

Vega Evega @  Eslinger

On The Cover: Neil Young's After The Gold Rush By Nathan Barsness of Fingers Of The Sun

Twist and Shout presents On The Cover, a new monthly live series at Hi-dive featuring local bands covering influential and classic albums, from start to finish.

 We offered Nathan Barsness of Fingers Of The Sun a chance to tell us why he loved Neil Young's After the Gold Rush album and why he chose to cover it with his band, so read on, and be sure to catch the first ever On The Cover live series on July 31st!

Something that’s always struck me about Neil Young’s music is its intuitiveness. The emotional content of the lyrics are clear and the music drives the point home with a sort of unschooled, but supremely confident, simplicity. It has inspired my approach to songwriting over the years, reminding me to trust my instincts, not over-think my choices, and keep the feel of the song itself at the center of all of my creative decisions—even if it requires sacrificing technique.

When Langdon Winner of Rolling Stone reviewed After the Gold Rush in 1970, he described the album as “half-baked” and went onto say that it sounded as if the songs were recorded before they were properly rehearsed. Though that may be true from a purely technical standpoint, Winner missed the point. With After the Gold Rush Neil Young captured a specific time and place in his life as a person and an artist. What we are left with as listeners is a snapshot of the emotions and energy of that time and place. That’s part of why the album stands up after all of these years: it is genuine.

Thanks to my dad’s almost fanatical love of Young, I have been steeped in his meandering, folk-rock sound since my ears formed in the womb. But it wasn't until my late teens when I first picked up a guitar and formed a band that I began to realize what an innovator Neil Young was. What interested me at the time was the way he could pack so much emotion into such simple music. Songs like “Cowgirl in the Sand” and “Down by the River” were basically raw jams where Crazy Horse would repeat a basic, two-chord progression, while Young soloed over the top. It was inspiring to realize that with only basic musical knowledge (E minor 7, A major, REPEAT—as heard in “Down by the River”) you could not only make a complete song, but a potentially epic song. A perfect recipe for a 16 year old with a guitar and almost no training.

After the Gold Rush doesn’t have those extended two-chord jams, but it remains a great example of simple, non-technical music, that still communicates an almost unbelievable amount of feeling. It’s the kind of album that continues to inspire me, a constant reminder that the exploration of what a song can do is never finished. When Langdon Winner criticized what he perceived as the technical shortcomings of the album, what he missed was that those technical shortcomings were exactly what gave that album its abundance of emotion, its vibe, the intangible thing about it that keeps people coming back 40+ years later.

A perfect example of Winner missing the point is his criticism of the album’s title track. “Apparently no one bothered to tell Neil Young that he was singing a half octave above his highest acceptable range,” he wrote of “After the Gold Rush,” with its plaintive vocal and minimalist arrangement. At his best, Neil Young has a way of writing songs that sound as if they came into the world in their complete and final form. Listening to it now as a songwriter I get the feeling that Neil sat at a piano, put his hands on the keyboard, and wrote it in ten minutes of pure, unfiltered inspiration. Maybe the key that required him to sing “a half octave above his highest acceptable range” was the result of where his hands first landed when he sat down to write the song. And the fact that Young would trust his muse and take a chance on sounding slightly off on his vocals is one of the main reasons he remains an inspiration.

Similarly, Winner criticizes “Southern Man” for sounding “sloppy and disconnected,” where to me it sounds like it was recorded by a band that learned the song the very day it was recorded and nailed it. Young's guitar solo on the track has all the bite, grit, and energy of a first take. The difference between my view and Winner’s is only that, for me, that first take’s energy and uncertainty is what makes the track. It’s sloppy, but true.

Funny enough, earlier in 1970 Neil Young explained his process to another Rolling Stone writer, Elliot Blinder. He said that, for him, playing live in the studio captures the excitement of the moment and allows the musicians to react to each other in real time. In interviews he consistently talks about the “mood” or “spirit” of the recordings he’s been a part of and how the recording process (whether live or overdubbed) affects the final recordings. As an example he said that the differences between the Beatles and the Stones can be explained in part by the fact that the Beatles overdubbed (that is, recorded in pieces, often one instrument at a time) constantly, while the Stones preferred to play live in the studio.

I think that’s a good point and would go even farther in explaining my view of After the Gold Rush: It’s more like a field recording of some forgotten tribe’s traditional songs than a meticulously crafted, Sgt. Pepper-style concept album. It wasn’t meant to be built up, edited, and perfected, it was meant to share with us a particular time and place, while eliminating any distraction from the process of communicating the real, basic, human feelings at the heart of each song.

I'd Love to Turn You On At the Movies #70 - Marie Antoinette ( 2006, dir. Sofia Coppola)

“This is Ridiculous” Antoinette

“This madam, is Versailles” Comtesse de Noailles

Marie Antoinette is an overindulgent, punk rock portrait of an iconic princess as well as a beautiful portrayal of a naïve and misunderstood young woman. Succeeding in the creation of a film that effectively tells either of those tales is a tough enough outing, let alone a film that flows between the two extremes. Through the use of glamorous and excessive post-punk aesthetic (in style/music) along with an auteurist style of purposefully nonchalant story telling, Sofia Coppola creates an intriguing view into the inner workings of a fascinating historical figure.

The story itself is simple enough; a beautiful adolescent woman is strategically married off to a foreign land. From that point the viewer watches as her life unfolds. The moment Kirsten Dunst’s character, Marie Antoinette, is stripped of the artifice of her Austrian nature we watch as she is molded and shaped into the persona that would eventually damn her and the royalty that made her. One of the reasons that the film shines is that it sweeps through important historical events to linger on the ostensibly mundane. This could be considered one of Sofia Coppola’s auteurist stamps, leaving the viewer to merely experience the lives of her subjects. In the end it’s not simply the momentous events that define life, but the moments in between.

The story is grounded in the turmoil behind a displaced girl attempting to remain Austrian and also to assimilate to her new role as the queen of France. The viewer watches as she and her new husband Louis XVI played by Jason Schwartzman, both mere children, are forced to assume the roles of adults. The pressure of presenting France with an heir is overwhelming and the constant cloud of whispers that follows her is daunting. The other side of the story focuses upon the youthful nature of Antoinette. There are lavish parties and numerous situations that highlight her playful curiosity that is the embodiment of youth.

Truly this film stands on its own as a grandiosely cinematic period piece that remains modern while not getting completely lost in its modernity. Sofia Coppola’s tendency toward letting character emerge through simplicity of dialogue and situation combined with the gorgeous settings (actually shot on the grounds of Versailles) and Lance Acord’s keen and deliberate eye for brilliant light and shimmering yet simple camera work creates a world in which to become lost. Most every aspect of this film shines in its own right. The soundtrack is stunning, pitting the glitz and glam of the eighties new wave and post-punk against the cinematic and symphonic modern soundscapes of Aphex Twin and others, mirroring the two separate stories being told simultaneously. This also creates an interesting comparison to youthful rebellion throughout somewhat similar generations (the excessive eighties to name one).

In addition to the aforementioned reasons, the final reason I’d ‘love to turn you on’ to Marie Antoinette is Kirsten Dunst, who excels in the role of the doomed queen. Challenged with playing a character all the way from the age of 14 to 37 (and one who went through more than her fair share in such a short time) Dunst remains warm and relatable, yet fresh and unpredictable. While I wouldn’t call this her defining moment, in this film, as well as Coppola’s Virgin Suicides (1999), I see glimpses of the woman who is stunning in Lars Von Trier’s Melancholia (2011). So make up your own mind, you’ve heard whispered rumors about the film and now you’ve heard my own proclamation, take the journey, go to the parties and sit through the stylized whimsy that is this unique period piece.

- Edward Hill

I'd Love to Turn You On #85 - James Brown – In the Jungle Groove

If James didn’t single-handedly change the face of pop music by moving rhythm to the forefront he was at the very least one of the primary exponents in doing so and this collection helps display many of his finest dance grooves from one of his most creative periods. The collection covers only a scant year and a half or so – September 1969 through July 1971 – and marks his transition from balladeer and dancer extraordinaire to Sex Machine (a song recorded during this period, but not on this collection). And if you’re a fan of that song – or of any funk from the era – and don't have this, you're missing out. This is, for me, the definition of funk – or at least one of them, with perhaps Sly Stone’s work right alongside it and Parliament-Funkadelic around this time writing a new chapter of slower, spaced-out grooves.

Everything here is a full-length dance floor workout – discounting the DJ-friendly "Bonus Beats" reprise of one song, the shortest song clocks in at 6:09 while the longest is a magnificent 9:13 of "Funky Drummer," possibly the single most sampled song of all time due to its famous drum break (you’ll know it when you hear it). But from the seemingly effortless screams James unleashes – sometimes as punctuation, sometimes held back to a climactic moment of a song – to the irrepressible groove created by the rhythm section (variously held down by bassists Bootsy Collins or Sweet Charles and drummers Clyde Stubblefield or Jabo Starks or Melvin Parker) to the intertwined guitars scratching out the rhythm to the horns playing patterns and sometimes solos over the rhythmic beast they’ve created, this music always moves with a single-minded purpose – and that’s to move your feet.

For those who think that dance music and pop are a young man’s game, you should note that Brown was 36 when the earliest of these cuts was laid down and had been sharpening his recording work since his debut in 1956, constantly changing and refining his work. It’s startling to hear how far he’d come even since the famed revue-style recording of Live at the Apollo in 1962, but this era marked a period of creative flow that he’d rarely equal. Of course, these songs aren’t the first one where he staked a claim on an irresistible groove, 1965's “Papa's Got A Brand New Bag” is certainly a precursor, and by 1967's “Cold Sweat” he'd made a definitive turn toward this style of music dominating his output, laying down extended works in the studio that only sometimes found their ways to albums at their full strength – hence the added necessity of this invaluable compilation. It’s a bias of rock-centric thinking that albums are the only format worth attending – when the music is this good, who cares how it finds its way out, as long as it does? Be sure to attend to the highlights – “It's A Brand New Day” kicks things off, leading into the legendary “Funky Drummer” and the simply great “Give It Up Or Turn It A Loose.” Later, we’re treated to the anthem "Get Up, Get Into it and Get Involved" and the salacious (and terrific) "Hot Pants (She Got To Use What She Got To Get What She Wants)." But everything here kills it, from beginning to end, and even the “Bonus Beats” are fun if you’re on the dance floor – you won’t mind hearing them again.

- Patrick Brown

2013 UMS Band Interviews #10

Jeffrey Dallet

Where/ When are you playing for the UMS?
I am playing at 11pm Friday the 19th of July at The Hornet

In twenty-five words or less, describe what somebody who has never heard of your band might expect from your performance at UMS this year.

You can expect an orgiastic audio feast of lyrical, thoughtful and fun folk n' roll.

What was the first music you remember using your own money to buy?

I bought a Big Band Hits of the 1930's, 40's and 50's CD.

What has been your favorite album of 2013 so far?

Paer by Kyle Zender and Hill Baker.

Do you have any advice for new bands?

We are a new band, so please give us some advice.

Have you planned out who you want to see at UMS this year? Who are some of your highlights?

Haven't really planned, but I want to see Paer and Attic Attack.

If you've been to UMS before, what three words would you use to describe it?

Hot, Diverse. and Sweaty

What has been your most memorable experience at UMS to date?

I was interviewed for three minutes last year 2012 on Open Air 1340am. Alisha Sweeny is a delight.

Any tips you'd like to give the novices for making the UMS experience even better?

Come see the Jeffrey Dallet Group. But then again I'm a novice too so maybe that's not a good idea.

Is there any place you're looking forward to eating during UMS?

Thai Monkey Club.

What is your favorite shop on South Broadway? 

Goodwill

Who is your all time favorite Colorado band?

Firefall

You're working the counter at Twist & Shout, and a customer is interested in expanding his music collection.  What three albums would you recommend?

Steve Young - Switchblades of Love
Warren Zevon - The Wind
Jean Luc Ponty - New Country
Jeffrey Dallet - My Old Record Store (only if they ask for a 4th though)

Is there anything we forgot to ask you about the UMS that you think people need to know?

Bring water and sunscreen. Oh and ear plugs to prevent hearing loss. Sometimes the venues get really loud. I'm looking at you Three Kings.



Aspen Hourglass
Where/ When are you playing for the UMS?
July 18th at Moe’s Original BBQ at 11pm.

In twenty-five words or less, describe what somebody who has never heard of your band might expect from your performance at UMS this year.

Aspen Hourglass is a Colorado-based progressive/alternative reggae-rock band consisting of Grayson Erhard, John Napier, and Sean Hanson.

What was the first music you remember using your own money to buy?
Red Hot Chili Peppers, Blood Sugar Sex Magik

What has been your favorite album of 2013 so far?
Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories

Do you have any advice for new bands?
Exposure, promotion, and heart behind the music you produce will lead to ultimate success and gratification in the music industry.

Have you planned out who you want to see at UMS this year? Who are some of your highlights?
A member of “South of France” has been a life-long friend and fellow musician since we began playing music at a young age together. Aspen Hourglass is playing at the same time as these guys at a different venue so unfortunately, we will not get a chance to listen to them, but we wish the best of luck and to have a killer performance!

If you've been to UMS before, what three words would you use to describe it?

…First Time performing at this event…

Is there any place you're looking forward to eating during UMS?
Moe’s original BBQ!!!!

Who is your all time favorite Colorado band?
A big shout-out to our great friends of “Solterra” but the band that sticks out to us is “Something Underground” for their powerful vocals and musical talent.

You're working the counter at Twist & Shout, and a customer is interested in expanding his music collection. What three albums would you recommend?
Matters of the Bittersweet by Mathew Santos for Vocals, The Machinations of Dementia by Blotted Science for musical complexity and composition, and First Temple by Closure in Moscow for overall effect and inspiration.

Indigenous Robot
Where/ When are you playing for the UMS?
Hi-Dive - Sunday - July 21 - 1pm

In twenty-five words or less, describe what somebody who has never heard of your band might expect from your performance at UMS this year.

IR's vibe is dark and smoky, a modern take on psychedelia for stoners with ADHD... It's groovy, tight musically, and different. 

What was the first music you remember using your own money to buy?

311, Red Hot Chili Peppers

What has been your favorite album of 2013 so far?

The new one we're about to record...

Do you have any advice for new bands?

Play only for your own enjoyment and forget what anyone else tells you

Have you planned out who you want to see at UMS this year? Who are some of your highlights?

Bonnie and the Beard, FaceMan, Rubedo, Scatter Gather, The Raven and the Writing Desk, The Dendrites, Attic Attack, PrettyMouth

If you've been to UMS before, what three words would you use to describe it?

Tons of bands

What has been your most memorable experience at UMS to date?

Watching lots of bands up and down South Broadway.  

Any tips you'd like to give the novices for making the UMS experience even better?

Don't let your legs hang in the street when you pass out on the sidewalk. 

Is there any place you're looking forward to eating during UMS?

Famous Pizza, Illegal Pete's 

What is your favorite shop on South Broadway? 

Sweet Action 

Who is your all time favorite Colorado band?

Sugarloaf

You're working the counter at Twist & Shout, and a customer is interested in expanding his music collection.  What three albums would you recommend?

Strawberry Alarm Clock Wake Up...It's Tomorrow, Clear Light (Self Titled), Portugal the Man Waiter, You Vultures



The Outfit 
Where/ When are you playing for the UMS?
Hi-Dive/Sunday at 5pm

In twenty-five words or less, describe what somebody who has never heard of your band might expect from your performance at UMS this year.

We play rock music with rock guitars and it is fun.  Sing and dance and have fun with us.

What was the first music you remember using your own money to buy?

Barenaked Ladies' Stunt.

What has been your favorite album of 2013 so far?

Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats

Do you have any advice for new bands?

Get weird.

Have you planned out who you want to see at UMS this year? Who are some of your highlights?

The Vicious Women (last show ever), The Octaves, Native Daughters, Mudhoney, bands that start with the letter V, The Knewpers, Steve (Faceman) Harvey.

If you've been to UMS before, what three words would you use to describe it?

uninhibited fun hotness

What has been your most memorable experience at UMS to date?

Mike Marchant's secret street corner performance last year

Any tips you'd like to give the novices for making the UMS experience even better?

have all the fun (and stay hydrated)

Is there any place you're looking forward to eating during UMS?

Illegal Pete's

What is your favorite shop on South Broadway?

Happy Coffee because I'm using their internet to do this interview.

Who is your all time favorite Colorado band?

The Lumineers, for letting us weirdos play Red Rocks with them.

You're working the counter at Twist & Shout, and a customer is interested in expanding his music collection.  What three albums would you recommend?

The Six Parts Seven Lost Notes From Forgotten Songs
Ty Segall Twins
Weekend Jinx

Is there anything we forgot to ask you about the UMS that you think people need to know?

HAVE ALL THE FUN.



Rob Drabkin
Where/ When are you playing for the UMS?
Sunday, 8pm.  South Broadway Christian Church

In twenty-five words or less, describe what somebody who has never heard of your band might expect from your performance at UMS this year.

I'm a singer/songwriter who likes to rock. It'll be a full band show inside some lovely church walls  :)

What was the first music you remember using your own money to buy?

Michael Jackson Bad
Metallica And Justice For All

What has been your favorite album of 2013 so far?

Daft Punk!

Do you have any advice for new bands?

#1) Play live every chance you get! 
#2 ) It's the age of the internet!  So release songs one at a time till you have an album or EP together.
Save money and invest it into music videos first, then invest into promotion. 
#3) Have a unique release plan.  Don't just put your music on iTunes, tell facebook to buy it and call it a day.  you can do way better than that!

Have you planned out who you want to see at UMS this year? Who are some of your highlights?

Oh.  Sunday is my day!  Go see SHEL at 4pm on Goodwill stage. 

If you've been to UMS before, what three words would you use to describe it?

Hipster Hippie Love

What has been your most memorable experience at UMS to date?

We fit 30 dancing people into one awkward sliver of shade in front of the stage. 

Any tips you'd like to give the novices for making the UMS experience even better?

You'll be happier in shorts!  Even if the scene on S. Broadway seems to be about pants. 

Is there any place you're looking forward to eating during UMS?

Happy Coffee.  I'll also peer into the windows of Beatrice & Woodsley and dream about going there some day soon!

What is your favorite shop on South Broadway?

Fancy Tiger Clothing

Who is your all time favorite Colorado band?

Big Head Todd & The Monsters. 

You're working the counter at Twist & Shout, and a customer is interested in expanding his music collection.  What three albums would you recommend?

Brett Dennen - Hope For the Hopeless
Robert Randolph & The Family Band - Lickety Split
The Roots - Things Fall Apart

Is there anything we forgot to ask you about the UMS that you think people need to know?

I am getting a haircut before the set Sunday.  Our new album will be on Twist & Shout shelves this September!

2013 UMS Band Interviews #9

Atomga Afrobeat Denver

Where/ When are you playing for the UMS?
We are playing Brendan’s 404 Friday, July 19th at 7:00 p.m.







In twenty-five words or less, describe what somebody who has never heard of your band might expect from your performance at UMS this year.
We could talk all day about hypnotic rhythms, horns, and percussion, but for now, we will just tell you that we play dance music.

(that gets your ass shaking)

What was the first music you remember using your own money to buy?
On my way to Colorado Honor Band in high school, I would ALWAYS stop at the old Twist & Shout location or Tower records and peruse music. Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe - The Bridge is a memorable one because it was one of the first albums I bought that dabbled in jazz, funk, afrobeat, and jam elements, which is probably the majority of stuff I listen to these days.

What has been your favorite album of 2013 so far?
It may sound generic, but Justin Timberlake’s 20/20 Experience and Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories crush!

Do you have any advice for new bands?
Be your own biggest advocate.

Have you planned out who you want to see at UMS this year? Who are some of your highlights?
We’re definitely planning on checking out Go Star, Jaden Carlson, Paa Kow’s By All Means Band, Pink Hawks and Trichome, but we’re definitely excited to walk around and see who we randomly discover at the festival.

If you've been to UMS before, what three words would you use to describe it?
Eclectic, inspiring, ridiculous.

What has been your most memorable experience at UMS to date?
After moving from Greeley/Fort Collins to Denver, the UMS was overwhelming (in the best of ways) to see how vibrant Denver’s music scene is and begin making connections with all of the bands down this way. Saying we have a good thing going on in Colorado is an understatement.

Any tips you'd like to give the novices for making the UMS experience even better?
Go with the flow and have a damn good time!

Is there any place you're looking forward to eating during UMS?
There’s never a bad time to stop for a slice at Famous Pizza. Yum.

What is your favorite shop on South Broadway?
We can’t name just one favorite--walking around and stopping in random shops is pretty awesome. I’m definitely partial to old book stores and antique stores.

Who is your all time favorite Colorado band?
There are so many--The Motet and Big Gigantic definitely have it going on and big local shout outs go to Kinetix, Trichome, Hamhock, Abstract Collective and so many others!

You're working the counter at Twist & Shout, and a customer is interested in expanding his music collection. What three albums would you recommend?
Umphrey’s McGee (any live album or complilation)

Steely Dan - Aja
Femi Kuti - Africa for Africa

Bud Bronson & The Good Timers

Where/ When are you playing for the UMS?
They put us with the rock & roll die-hards of Denver up at Brendan's 404, formerly Denver Wheel Club, on Thursday night. We play with Warhawk, Blood Boilers, The Matildas and our pals the Kinky Fingers.



We go on second-to-last at 11:00 PM. The fires of hell are gunna consume Brendan's 404 by the time we're all done.

In twenty-five words or less, describe what somebody who has never heard of your band might expect from your performance at UMS this year.
We are the next-door neighbors who help mow your lawn before turning your garage into an inferno of six-string-stars-and-bars rock & roll carnage.

What was the first music you remember using your own money to buy?
Brian's was Surrender by the Chemical Brothers. Luke's was Master of Puppets by Metallica. Andrew's was probably something by The Impossibles and Austen's was the radio-edit version of Enema of the State by Blink 182.

What has been your favorite album of 2013 so far?
Brian's is Illumination Ritual by the Appleseed Cast, Austen’s is How Did I End Up Here? by ScaTTer GaTHer, Luke’s is Fly by Lettuce and Andrew didn’t respond to the e-mail.

Do you have any advice for new bands?
Join us or die.

Have you planned out who you want to see at UMS this year? Who are some of your highlights?
Dirty Few + Party Hard at the Hi-Dive on Friday night is going to be hell on Earth.

If you've been to UMS before, what three words would you use to describe it?
Golfing with dad

Is there any place you're looking forward to eating during UMS?
Famous Pizza.

Who is your all time favorite Colorado band?
John Denver is the easy choice, but we gotta go with Liberty because Luke's dad played pedal steel for them before getting kicked out for being too much of a loose cannon.

You're working the counter at Twist & Shout, and a customer is interested in expanding his music collection. What three albums would you recommend?
The Snake, The Cross & the Crown: Cotton Teeth

Titus Andronicus: The Monitor
D’Angelo: Ultimate

Is there anything we forgot to ask you about the UMS that you think people need to know?
This is the best festival in Colorado because we own it! For us, by us! Sponsored by FUBU. Come out and support it and be a part of it. We need you like water in our lungs. Denver is awesome and we're all lucky to be here. The UMS proves that civic pride is alive and well in 2013.

Pythian Whispers
Where/ When are you playing for the UMS?
At Eslinger Gallery (118 S. Broadway), 9PM, Saturday.

In twenty-five words or less, describe what somebody who has never heard of your band might expect from your performance at UMS this year.
Dark, atmospheric mostly instrumental music and visuals that resonate well with weird horror and science fiction movies. We will be playing entirely material for our new album.

What was the first music you remember using your own money to buy?
Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon.

What has been your favorite album of 2013 so far?

Flaming Lips - The Terror. Or Boards of Canada - Tomorrow's Harvest.

Do you have any advice for new bands?

Follow the path of your inspiration even if what you do kinda sucks for a while. Most great things didn't start off great out the gates. Explore where you creativity takes you and don't aim for being in some genre or trying to be commercial or trying to be weird. Do what you do. If that means you write very catchy, poppy music, and it comes naturally from you, great. If you do something that alienates most people but it makes you happy? Great. But be willing to take feedback gracefully and in context meaning consider the source and the possibility that person may be in a great mood. Play shows with artists that aren't like you but that you like. Nothing's more boring than a music scene where everyone that is in a certain realm of music only goes to see and supports a related style of music.

Have you planned out who you want to see at UMS this year? Who are some of your highlights?
The line-up is so overwhelmingly vast that I will decide day of the events except for Saturday at Eslinger gallery from 3PM onward. That all looks great. Also, 2PM on July 20, the final Vicious Women show. Wouldn't want to miss that. Or Emerald Siam and Pale Sun on July 21st.

If you've been to UMS before, what three words would you use to describe it?

Comprehensive local festival.

What has been your most memorable experience at UMS to date?

Seeing Wheelchair Sports Camp at Compound Basix in 2012. And Shabazz Palaces.

Any tips you'd like to give the novices for making the UMS experience even better?

Bring water. Check out a bit of everything. Make an effort to see things you've never heard of or have never seen. Even if you end up not liking it at least you took a chance and no learning or finding out about something new and interesting happens without taking that risk.

Is there any place you're looking forward to eating during UMS?

There won't be time to think about this too much. Possibly that hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant east of Broadway on Ellsworth.

What is your favorite shop on South Broadway? 

Mutiny Now.

Who is your all time favorite Colorado band?

Ye Olde Skuel: The Fluid. The 90s: Twice Wilted. Turn of Century Decade: Bright Channel. Das Neu Skool: Echo Beds. It's really hard to choose.

You're working the counter at Twist & Shout, and a customer is interested in expanding his music collection.  What three albums would you recommend?

20 Jazz Funk Greats by Throbbing Gristle. Jazz in Silhouette by Sun Ra. Red State by Gowns.

Is there anything we forgot to ask you about the UMS that you think people need to know?

It's a great festival where people have taken the time out to put together something that really does encompass a broad spectrum of what is happening in Denver. Not to mention excellent out of town bands. If you want to, you can discover something you'll love somewhere at this festival some time if you do your homework a little because the venues and what's going on there wasn't accidental.



Samuel Lee
Where/ When are you playing for the UMS?
I'll be playing at the Hornet at midnight on thursday night!

In twenty-five words or less, describe what somebody who has never heard of your band might expect from your performance at UMS this year.

A modern take on classic style American rock'n'roll. Anthemic choruses, soulful melodies, folksy charm and a lot of Sam Lee sweat.

What was the first music you remember using your own money to buy?

If memory serves, it was either disc two (album sides 3 & 4) of The Grateful Dead's Steal Your Face, or it was Lynyrd Skynyrd's greatest hits Skynyrd's Innyrds. With a few exceptions, I really didn't get into music that was made after I was born until after I graduated high school.

What has been your favorite album of 2013 so far?
Sam Lee's Raise Your Flag is beyond a shadow of a doubt this year's biggest musical haymaker!
Seriously though, I haven't yet found a record that I've latched on to this year. I did listen to Hanson's new one the other day though, and it's pretty spectacular.

Do you have any advice for new bands?

The silver bullet is gone. What I mean by that is that, the days when getting discovered, signed to a label, and subsequently skyrocketing into the celebrity stratosphere are over. Write a lot of songs, craft a memorable live show, engage with your fans at every turn, put together the very best sounding record that you possibly can, and become a brand that is attractive both in its grandeur and in its authenticity.

Have you planned out who you want to see at UMS this year? Who are some of your highlights?
Here's a tentative itinerary:
Thursday: Input & Bonnie and the Beard. I play at 11:59 at the Hornet
Friday: The Raven and the Writing Desk (missed them last year), The Knew, The Yawpers & Bop Skizzum.
Saturday: Katey Laurel, Jaden Carlson Band, Holly Lovell, Roniit, Attic Attack, iZCALLI, Sarah and the Meanies, The Epilogues, Dan Tedesco, The Dendrites, Chris Heckman & The Hate
Sunday: Medic, Megan Burtt, Sean Waldron, Rachel and the Kings, Brave Song Circle, Eldren, Reviving Cecilia, Sarah Slaton, Baywood, Foxfield Four, Caleb Slade, In The Whale, Petals of Spain, Rob Drabkin, Born in the Flood, Monroe Monroe, Post Paradise, John Common, Places & The Foot

If you've been to UMS before, what three words would you use to describe it?

Exhausting, Supportive, ignominious (it's ok, you can look that last one up)

What has been your most memorable experience at UMS to date?
Watching Chris Heckman of the Epilogues demolish a water-logged guitar on the main stage two years ago.

Any tips you'd like to give the novices for making the UMS experience even better?
Wear good walking shoes, don't try to see every band you want to see, stay hydrated, come watch Sam Lee.

Is there any place you're looking forward to eating during UMS?
El Diablo. To hell with fire code.

What is your favorite shop on South Broadway?
I think the only place I've ever made a purchase at on south broadway is Goodwill, and the t-shirt didn't end up fitting me.

Who is your all time favorite Colorado band?
God save The Heyday

You're working the counter at Twist & Shout, and a customer is interested in expanding his music collection.  What three albums would you recommend?
You guys keep setting me up for this. I'd tell him to by Sam Lee's Raise Your Flag three times, and then I'd disappear in puff of smoke.

Is there anything we forgot to ask you about the UMS that you think people need to know?
As you pound the South Broadway pavement, find out what Kendall Smith, Will Dupree, and James Irvine look like. When you see them, give them a piece of candy, tell them to chill out, shake their hand and thank them for putting on a great event.



Everai
Where/ When are you playing for the UMS?
Compound Basix, Saturday at 7

 In twenty-five words or less, describe what somebody who has never heard of your band might expect from your performance at UMS this year.

Lyrical, melody driven hip hop with a whole bunch of influences and bounce. I like playing with language and expectations (genre, image, cultural, etc)

What was the first music you remember using your own money to buy?

The first two cds I bought on my own were Kris Kross and this Alvin and the Chipmunks cd, which had the dopest version of “Puff the Magic Dragon” in the history of ever.

What has been your favorite album of 2013 so far?

If I can count Kendrick Lamar’s Good Kid, M.A.A.D City in this cycle, that one.  He has an incredible command of language.

Do you have any advice for new bands?

I’m still really new on the scene here.  But what I’ve learned, especially in a creative place like Denver, is surround yourself with people who are also working to accomplish what you’re working to accomplish.  And perform all the time and be practiced.  When an opportunity comes up, you need to be ready to go.  Being out of practice and not having a game plan will derail your forward motion quickly.

Have you planned out who you want to see at UMS this year? Who are some of your highlights?

I just talked about game plan in the last question.  But with festivals like UMS, I know wherever I go, there are going to be incredible talents.  So I’m going with where my intuition pulls me.

If you've been to UMS before, what three words would you use to describe it?

So necessary.

What has been your most memorable experience at UMS to date?

Last year, UMS with 3Two was the first big showcase I’ve ever done, probably the biggest show I’d done to that point.  I had taken some time off to get my head straight and shift gears in my music.  We had written “Elevate” about a month before but hadn’t performed it.  And then everything that happened that weekend, it was kind of surreal.  Doing “Elevate” at UMS was the first time we really performed a song together on stage, and it meshed really well.  In my mind, I was hoping that the song would uplift the crowd.  It lifted my spirits to perform it, and at that moment in the history of CO and my own career.

Any tips you'd like to give the novices for making the UMS experience even better?

Just go everywhere, especially to the names you don’t know.

Is there any place you're looking forward to eating during UMS?

Pizza is my weakness, particularly after performing.  So you’ll probably see me smashing on some pizza.

What is your favorite shop on South Broadway?

Buffalo Exchange.  I need new gear, though.

Who is your all time favorite Colorado band?

I’m gonna say Wheelchair Sports Camp, 3Two, Joshua Trinidad (Go Star), Soul Daddy...  All of these artists have played a big role in pointing me toward opportunities and I really appreciate that.  So shouts to all them looking out.

You're working the counter at Twist & Shout, and a customer is interested in expanding his music collection. What three albums would you recommend?

I’d have to throw in a Yes album, probably either Close to the Edge or Fragile.  Big fan of Yes.  Then Jamie XX and Gil Scott-Herron We’re New Here.  And top it off with Late Registration, Kanye.

Is there anything we forgot to ask you about the UMS that you think people need to know?

Nah, just get ready for great music.