2019 UMS Band Interviews #3

Twist & Shout recommends The Underground Music Showcase from July 26th to July 28th on South Broadway!! We asked some of our favorite local bands when they are playing, and much more!

Catch these live performances, and much more at The UMS! 

See link for tickets:

https://www.undergroundmusicshowcase.com/

Los Mocochetes

Where and when are you playing at the UMS?

3 Kings Sunday 10pm

How long has your band been together?

Almost 4 years 

Do you have any advice for new bands?

Be humble. Make space for those who get excluded. Never forget your roots and your community!, give back and always ask for permission! Work for everything you get and trust the process! Don’t be afraid to ask for help! 

Besides your own band, who do you want to see at the UMS?

Chicano Batman!!!!! Can’t wait! 

Best past UMS experience?

First year playing UMS not knowing what to expect and then being slapped in the face with warm love and affection from the audience 

Do you have any tips for festival goers?

Do some research. Drink water and go to as many shows as possible! The more locals you watch the better.

Who is your all time favorite Denver band?

Wheelchair Sports Camp!

If you were behind the counter at Twist and Shout, what three albums would you recommend to our customers?

Any Chicano Batman album! Anderson.Paak, Bomba Estereo,  Combo Chimbita

Oxeye Daisy

Where and when are you playing at the UMS?

We will be playing on the Main stage at 2pm on Saturday. We may have some other things planned but those are still secret ;)

How long has your band been together?

We've been together for over 2 years. Eddie Schmid, Lela Roy and Ramel Sanchez started it with our friend Zach. When Zach moved, Danny DiMarchi (of Tyto Alba/Tenants/Nuancer/Babelord) joined, and about 6 months ago, Stephen Pamas (of Hello Mountain) joined.

What was your band's first live show/ performance and what was memorable about it?

Our first show was at Red Rocks on July 1st, 2019

What was the first album you purchased?

The first record I purchased was System Of A Down's Hypnotize, but the first music I ever pirated was probably something by Enya.

What album was your most recent purchase?

The most recent record I purchased was Goodnight Paradise by Graveyard Club. They just came through Lost Lake out from Minneapolis.

Do you have any advice for new bands?

You're gonna suck, and that's okay. Just keep at it. And most importantly, have fun. If you don't have fun with it, you'll never stick with it.

Besides your own band, who do you want to see at the UMS?

Big Dopes, Hello Mountain, Tenants, Tyto Alba, Pout House, American Grandma, Vic n the Narwhals, Panther Martin, Retrofette, Anthony Ruptak, Bun Bun, Corsicana, Modern Leisure, Decollage, DreamCast, Rad Dudes, Ramakhandra, Spirrettes, The Still Tide, Ssiigghh, Turvy Organ and so many more that I am definitely forgetting.

Best past UMS experience?

Last year we discovered that the UMS is a front for a shadow organization commonly referred to as the Illuminati. Can't wait for what we uncover this year!

Do you have any tips for festival goers?

Stay aware, they wait for you in the shadows. The code word is "Intergalactic Love."

What's the best food people can find on Broadway during the festival?

If you ask nicely, the bartenders at Hi-Dive might give you a little bag of chips or nuts from their office.

Who is your all time favorite Denver band?

John Denver

If you were behind the counter at Twist and Shout, what three albums would you recommend to our customers?

Dandelion Gum - Black Moth Super Rainbow, Boo Boo - Toro Y Moi, Oxeye Daisy - Oxeye Daisy.

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

WAKE UP SHEEPLE

Automatic Iris

Where and when are you playing at the UMS?

We are psyched to play Banded Oak Brewing Co on Saturday the 27^th at 5PM. Getting to play a different UMS venue each year is the best, and 5PM is a perfect time to start your evening with a cold beer on the patio!

How long has your band been together?

Our first show as Automatic Iris was four years ago!

What was your band's first live show/ performance and what was memorable about it?

Talk about an epic first show! We played FaceMan’s Journey to the Sun at Ophelia’s. Non-stop fun, so many bands, and the stage design by Incite… it was just amazing. It’s not so often you get to play a set with a rocket over head in a former brothel!

What was the first album you purchased?

I remember purchasing two at once: Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young and Mariah Carey. I think that combo tells it all….

What album was your most recent purchase?

The Gun Street Ghost album, Battles. We’ve listened to it a million times. It’s such a perfect straight thru album listen with tons of melodies that get stuck in your head for days.

Do you have any advice for new bands?

I’ll give the same advice Matt Hoffman and Trent Nelson from Strange Americans gave us…. Just Keep Going. It’s that simple.

Besides your own band, who do you want to see at the UMS?

So many bands! It’s all about sprinkling in the ones you already love and still leaving times for bands you’ve never heard. I hope to catch Chicano Batman, William Elliott Whitmore, Brianna Straut, Bellhoss, Bluebook, Bud Bronson and the Goodtimers, Dollhouse Thieves, David Birchfield and the Fire Guild, Kinesics, King Cardinal, Lady Gang, The Milk Blossoms, New Mexican, Porlolo, The Still Tide, Strange Americans, Sydney Clapp, Zealot…. The list goes on!

Best past UMS experience?

I got the glasses knocked off my face in a mosh pit at a Bud Bronson show at Hi Dive one year, and my band mate had to steady me and find my glasses. Sounds horrible, but it was a thrill!

The entire audience was sweaty, stuck together and jumping up and down like a wild tribe for The Outfit’s farewell show at 3 Kings. Pure elation I won’t soon forget.

Do you have any tips for festival goers?

Hydrate, protect your ears, be completely willing to ditch your plan to wander into any venue and be surprised, talk to strangers… this is a community, just go for it and get the experience of all three days, no matter how tired you are.

What's the best food people can find on Broadway during the festival?

While Famous Pizza was a landmark part of UMS of the past, I’m partial these days to the gyros place on S. Broadway. I don’t even remember the name… but that’s one delicious break from the madness!

Who is your all time favorite Denver band?

That’s impossible to answer, but I can say with some certainty that I’ve seen Strange Americans the most. It’s true rock n roll, the albums can be on repeat and repeat and repeat and those fellas are true representatives of the Denver music community. Friendly advice, rock, sweaty hugs, cold beers and songs to sing along to….

If you were behind the counter at Twist and Shout, what three albums would you recommend to our customers?

That answer would change on a day to day basis! But today… Wilco - Sky Blue Sky, Gregory Alan Isakov with the Colorado Symphony, Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea.

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

Find us on the street to grab an annual UMS/Automatic Iris koozie!

Corsicana

Where and when are you playing at the UMS?

We're playing two sets! One is a full band set on 7/26 at 6PM @ the Skylark Lounge, and the other is a more ambient/experimental trio set on 7/28 at 4PM @ Baere Brewing.

How long has your band been together?

I've been utilizing the moniker since July of 2014, but the current band lineup has existed since November of last year!

What was your band's first live show/performance and what was memorable about it?

This lineup made its debut at a house show late last year, and it felt like the perfect environment to do so. Lots of friendly faces and less pressure overall made for a really great time all around!

What was the first album you purchased?

The first album I ever bought with my own money was Codes and Keys by Death Cab For Cutie, on CD. I bought it from the Target next to my house the day it came out...definitely a far cry from Twist & Shout, which would unfortunately take me a few more years to discover.

What album was your most recent purchase?

I am almost constantly buying new music, whether it be via Twist & Shout or the merch table after a show, so it's frankly hard to keep track! I think it may be the split from Winter and Triptides, Estrela Magica.

Do you have any advice for new bands?

A hard question, but I think it all boils down to this: be persistent. Be persistent, consistent, and active in all that you do, whether it be assembling the band itself, honing in on your sound, writing, performing, or booking. Eventually, people will start to catch on (to some degree or another). There's definitely plenty of luck involved, but hard work tends to warrant reaction/reception of some sort. Also, go to local shows, meet people, and begin to weave yourself into the local music scene! There's a lot more than initially meets the eye to the music scene in Colorado.

Besides your own band, who do you want to see at the UMS?

Honestly, I always try to see as many friends and local acts as I humanly can, but Ssiigghh, Tyto Alba, Oxeye Daisy, American Grandma, Kinesics, YaSi, Dandu, Ramakhandra, Goldjoy, Kiltro, Ghostpulse, and Easter Island are just a few! Regarding the national acts, I'm particularly excited for Yves Tumor and Chicano Batman.

Best past UMS experience?

My first one, 2017 UMS! I had just gotten back from FYF in LA, and going right into my second ever music festival experience right at home was equal parts disorienting, exhausting, euphoric, and exhilarating. It almost felt like one long fever dream, which is actually far more literal a statement than you may expect! I almost passed out immediately following our set, but that did nothing to stop me from loving the next few days more than anyone that sick should have.

Do you have any tips for festival goers?

Wander/plan as you go as much as possible! I've discovered many amazing bands this way, and it keeps things from feeling too predictable. Get out there early too, some of my favorite sets have been smack in the middle of the day!

What's the best food people can find on Broadway during the festival?

I go to Illegal Pete's for something quick and filling (they're open extra late!), Mutiny Information Cafe for snacks/coffee-related stuff (also open extra late), and have hit Spicy Basil anytime I get tired of Pete's burritos.

Who is your all time favorite Denver band?

This is almost impossible to answer for me! I love so many local artists for so many different reasons. If we expand the scope to all of Colorado, I may have to go with Gleemer, as their songs have left something inexplicably permanent in me. 

If you were behind the counter at Twist and Shout, what three albums would you recommend to our customers?

This is a hard one, but I'd likely ask the customer what they enjoy and follow up accordingly! I might recommend my all-time must listens: 22, A Million by Bon Iver and Familiars by The Antlers before following up with my current favorite, ANIMA, by Thom Yorke.

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

Nope! (:

2019 UMS Band Interviews #2

Twist & Shout recommends The Underground Music Showcase from July 26th to July 28th on South Broadway!! We asked some of our favorite local bands when they are playing, and much more!

Catch these live performances, and much more at The UMS! 

See link for tickets:

https://www.undergroundmusicshowcase.com/

YaSi

Where and when are you playing at the UMS?

As of now I am playing 2:20 PM Sunday 6/28 at the Odyssey Stage.

How long has your band been together?

This will be our third year as a live band, and my third year as ~YaSi~

What was your band's first live show/ performance and what was memorable about it?

As a three piece it was at Queen City Festival in 2016, it was my first festival with national acts I loved and having the drums just brought a new energy.

Recently we just played as a four piece with guitar for Westword, and that just felt so full of sound and dynamics and that's what made it memorable to me.

What was the first album you purchased?

My first CD I purchased on my own was... Aaron Carter's Aaron's Party. (Cringe I know but I loved him.)

What album was your most recent purchase?

The last album I purchased was Anderson.Paak's Malibu.

Do you have any advice for new bands?

Be kind to the people working behind the scenes and play each show to your highest level.

Besides your own band, who do you want to see at the UMS?

The list is very long; Still Woozy, Empress Of, EarthGang, DRAMA, The Corner Girls, Wildermiss, Ghost Tapes, Sur Ellz, Trayce Chapman, Rob4Real, Doze, Motion Trap.. the list goes on.

Best past UMS experience?

While playing shows has been fun, I love that UMS is a chance to connect with everyone from every genre.

Do you have any tips for festival goers?

Sunscreen, water, DEODORANT, and EAR PLUGS!! And while there is a drink called You A Mess...try to be a contained mess.

What's the best food people can find on Broadway during the festival?

You really can't go wrong with any of the food trucks. But pre UMS I love Karma.

Who is your all time favorite Denver band?

Right now I am LOVING and LIVING for Ghost Tapes. All time I'm not too sure.

If you were behind the counter at Twist and Shout, what three albums would you recommend to our customers?

As a former Twist cashier, I will always recommend: The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill by Lauryn Hill, Goddess by BANKS, and Malibu by Anderson.Paak.

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

Branch out to different genres and go to every venue you can even if it's for ten minutes!

Barry Osborne

Where and when are you playing at the UMS?

I'm playing at Baere Brewing on Sunday, July 28 at 6. Come on out and sing along!

How long has your band been together?

I'm almost 44 so, not quite 44 years. Going back to college I've been in and out of bands, but it's only been in the last few years that I've done the solo thing. It's been a lot of fun, liberating in a surprising way.

What was your band's first live show/ performance and what was memorable about it?

Three years ago I played a set for my family in our living room. We had ice cream afterwards. It was featured in a recent Denver Bootleg. The first time I stood on a stage alone and performed my songs was around the same time at Songwriters and Stem Ciders. Kenzi and Jason were really cool to work with, made me feel like I was part of a community. It was a little terrifying but exhilarating to try that. It made me want to keep going!

What was the first album you purchased?

It's odd but I can't quite remember. When I was very little I'd play my parents' Rhinestone Cowboy 8-track over and over and over. My first concert was Depeche Mode in 1990. There were some cassettes - Weird Al In 3D and Appetite for Destruction - in-between. 

What album was your most recent purchase?

I was at T&S last weekend and picked up When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? by Billie Eilish and Another Music in a Different Kitchen by The Buzzcocks, they sound great back to back.

Do you have any advice for new bands?

Meet people, you're all music lovers. Last year I found it to be a very welcoming and ego-free environment. These are your people, you belong, say hi!

Besides your own band, who do you want to see at the UMS?

Sydney Clapp at the South Broadway Christian Church on Saturday at 7.

Bellhoss at either Baere Brewing on Saturday at 8, or on Sunday at Denver DrumZ & Music at 4.

Yasi at Odyssey Stage @ Import Mechanics on Sunday at 2:20.

Kinesics at Denver DrumZ & Music on Sunday at 3.

Sunday is action-packed!

Best past UMS experience?

Last year's UMS was the first one I attended in nearly ten years. It was also the first time I was in a setting like that as a performer. Everyone was so welcoming, and being there as an artist and a fan was a trip. I met so many new people and strengthened existing friendships. The folks who run The UMS did a great job. I'm a middle aged post punk banjo guy and I don't always know where or how I fit in, but I did - and I do - at The UMS. Getting to immerse myself in that for 3 days left me feeling inspired and empowered.

Do you have any tips for festival goers?

Stick around or show up early to see an artist you've never seen before, or even heard of. Last year I encountered many artists I'd never even heard of and discovered some great music. All it takes is a little extra time and the willingness to listen.

What's the best food people can find on Broadway during the festival?

My family and I love Thai Monkey Club at 102 S Broadway - great food and very friendly people. Also, I rarely leave Mutiny without grabbing a Zagnut bar, good nourishment for when you are on the go. 

Who is your all time favorite Denver band?

Everything Absent or Distorted, though Kinesics are fast on their heels!

If you were behind the counter at Twist and Shout, what three albums would you recommend to our customers?

Dang, that's tough. Off the top of my head I'd say grab Electricity By Candlelight by Alex Chilton (which has a UMS vibe), The Raincoats self-titled debut, and What Will We Do? by Lula Wiles.

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

I'm really honored to play The UMS two years in a row. If you caught my set last year, I have some new songs and tricks up my sleeve, it's going to be a really fun time. Thanks for reaching out to me and thank you for supporting live music and local artists in Denver!

Slow Caves

(David from Slow Caves)

Where and when are you playing at the UMS?

We've got a couple sets this year! We're playing at 3 Kings on Friday at Midnight and again on Sunday on The Main Stage at 2:20. We also might have a secret stripped down set somewhere on Saturday. Gonna be a busy weekend!

How long has your band been together?

 I guess we started in 2014 so almost 5 years now, time flies haha

What was your band's first live show/ performance and what was memorable about it?

Our first show was at FoCoMX back in 2014 at the Aggie Theater in Fort Collins, we had about 5 original songs and played a ton of weird covers. Then played a house show the next day with a Kings of Leon cover band. Pretty great way to kick off the band.

What was the first album you purchased?

AC/DC - Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap was the first record I ever owned. I have no idea what happened to it.

What album was your most recent purchase?

My most recent album purchase was the new Night Moves record Can You Really Find Me it SLAPS! I highly recommend it and all of their previous records.

Do you have any advice for new bands?

Just get out there and play as much as you can. It might be rough at the start but the only way to get better is to just get out there and play as much as possible.

Besides your own band, who do you want to see at the UMS?

Going to be so many but a few shows I'm stoked for are Panther Martin, Kyle Emerson, Liza Anne, Flaural, & Corsicana.

Best past UMS experience?

There's seriously too many but it's pretty hard to beat watching DIIV back in 2015 with all my best friends. The ball pit at the Imagination Stage last year was pretty fun too. 

Do you have any tips for festival goers?

See as many bands as you can. Don't get hung up on your plan, let things happen spontaneously. Be nice and eat lots of pizza!

What's the best food people can find on Broadway during the festival?

I don't know if it's the best food but I always end up eating tons of Pie Hole haha can't go wrong there. Plus they have $1 PBRs. I don't know, Illegal Pete's is always a good place to grab some food during the fest.

Who is your all time favorite Denver band?

I would have to say Tennis no question about it.

If you were behind the counter at Twist and Shout, what three albums would you recommend to our customers?

I would say:

Golden Daze - Simpatico

Kevin Krauter - Toss Up

Broncho - Double Vanity

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

It's the best weekend in Denver, hands down!

Mama Magnolia

Where and when are you playing at the UMS?

We're opening up the Knockout Stage 3:20pm on Friday!

How long has your band been together?

4 years, coming up on 5. Somedays it feels like a lifetime and others it feels like a brand new band (all in a good refreshing way)

What was your band's first live show/ performance and what was memorable about it?

Ohh boy… We played Cervantes' Other Side and the band we were opening for, who is no longer a band, had their van broke down on that tour. We ended up just giving them our cut of the money because we felt so bad for them. It was only $100.

What was the first album you purchased?

I remember purchasing The Little Mermaid on cassette with money my mom gave me. I felt so. cool. (Megan Letts)

What album was your most recent purchase?

Lucius - Nudes on vinyl. Man, that's a good record. (Megan Letts)

Do you have any advice for new bands?

Communicate. Delegate. Listen to your bandmates. You are all putting your hearts on your sleeves by being artists together. Don't let the delicacy of your ego determine how you operate with your bandmates, but instead rely on and trust each other.

Besides your own band, who do you want to see at the UMS?

Our best buds in Retrofette who are playing right after us on the Goodwill Stage!

Do you have any tips for festival goers?

Go see bands you've never heard of before. I guarantee you will find your new favorite band by just stumbling upon them at some random spot!

What's the best food people can find on Broadway during the festival?

Eat it all! Moxie! Illegal Pete's! Lena! Gozo!

Who is your all-time favorite Denver band?

The Other Black. It's rare that you get your very own local Sly and The Family Stone.

If you were behind the counter at Twist and Shout, what three albums would you recommend to our customers?

Lucius - Wildewoman

Chance The Rapper - Coloring Book

Joe Cocker - Mad Dogs & Englishmen

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

Nope! Thank you for these creative questions! We'll see you at UMS!

2019 UMS Band Interviews #1

Twist & Shout recommends The Underground Music Showcase from July 26th to July 28th on South Broadway!! We asked some of our favorite local bands when they are playing, and much more!

Catch these live performances, and much more at The UMS! 

See link for tickets:

https://www.undergroundmusicshowcase.com/

Wildermiss

Where and when are you playing at the UMS?

We will be playing UMS on Friday (Main Stage at 3:20PM) and Saturday we are hosting a day party at Irish Rover called Fort Wildermiss. We will be playing a full set after all of our amazing friends (Irish Rover at 3:20PM)

How long has your band been together?

We have been together for almost 3 years! We starting writing in the summer of 2016 and our first show was in October of 2016.

What was your band's first live show/ performance and what was memorable about it?

Our first show was a Halloween house party. It was in the basement of our friends' house with twinkle lights, no A/C, and people dressed up dancing the night away. We were all dressed as Stranger Things characters and it was our first show as a band.

What was the first album you purchased?

Emma - No idea. Britny or *NSYNC or Backstreet Boys?

Caleb - a Switchfoot record - The Beautiful Letdown

Josh - I don’t remember but at some point I got the greatest hits of Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Seth - Millennium by Backstreet Boys

What album was your most recent purchase?

Our own album. Because we literally just paid so much money for it. <3

Do you have any advice for new bands?

Have fun. Practice hard. Play shows. You’re a business. You have full control. Good luck.

Besides your own band, who do you want to see at the UMS?

The Still Tide, Michigander, Kiltro, Velveteers, Slow Caves, & Leikeli47

Best past UMS experience?

Playing Three Kings Tavern at midnight to a packed room. We thought we’d wear gold plastic jackets in one of the hottest venues during UMS. Gold confetti exploded everywhere. It was a party and a night we’ll never forget.

Do you have any tips for festival goers?

Drink water, folks. Go to every stage and venue and explore seeing bands you’ve never heard or have always wanted to hear.

What's the best food people can find on Broadway during the festival?

We’re pizza people. Sputnik corndog people. Voodoo donuts people. Coffee people.

Who is your all time favorite Denver band?

Meese, circa 2009.

If you were behind the counter at Twist and Shout, what three albums would you recommend to our customers?

• Grab an album that says Radiohead on it.

• Beatles. Anything Beatles.

• Young The Giant’s Mirror Master

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

We’re putting on a day party at Irish Rover titled Fort Wildermiss. A campy aesthetic with killer bands & refreshing booze.

Don Chicharrón

Where and when are you playing at the UMS?

We will be playing the Main Stage (Showcase Stage) at 4pm on Saturday, July 27th. 

How long has your band been together?

4 Years

What was your band's first live show/ performance and what was memorable about it?

Our first live performance was for a small fundraiser for the organization called CUPeru. Associated with the University of Colorado Denver Medical campus, we were the entertainment for their annual Gala event. We were only 5 back then and we only a few songs to play, which were all covers of famous, old, chicha songs from the 70s. A few of those songs, we still play today.

What was the first album you purchased?

Weezer, Blue Album.

What album was your most recent purchase?

Vinyl record hunting in Lima, Peru - Los Echos, Peligrosa...!

Do you have any advice for new bands?

Wear earplugs as much as you can. I always forget to and am paying for it now.

Besides your own band, who do you want to see at the UMS?

Tuxedo! Chicano Batman!

Best past UMS experience?

Playing our very first ever UMS set and thinking that our sound really mattered.

Do you have any tips for festival goers?

Hydrate before, during and after.

What's the best food people can find on Broadway during the festival?

Food Trucks!

Who is your all time favorite Denver band?

Los Mocochetes

If you were behind the counter at Twist and Shout, what three albums would you recommend to our customers?

The Roots - Illadelph Halflife, Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique, A Tribe Called Quest - Midnight Marauders

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

UMS is the best weekend of the year! Be safe and have fun!

Emerald Siam

Where and when are you playing at the UMS?

Saturday the 27th 1AM @ Skylark

How long has your band been together?

7 years

What was your band's first live show/ performance and what was memorable about it?

Gathering of the Clouds - It was a big group of bands and friends we love.. and it was a blast to do our first show that way!

What was the first album you purchased?

Probably The Carpenters

What album was your most recent purchase?

The Cult Of Dom Keller - Paradiso Is On Fire

Do you have any advice for new bands?

Your songs are too long and attention spans keep getting shorter

Besides your own band, who do you want to see at the UMS?

Black Mountain, Flaural, Bluebook…

Best past UMS experience?

Never had a bad time at UMS always a blast!

 xOxford

Where and when are you playing at the UMS?

We're playing on Sunday at Blue Ice from 5-5:40pm.

How long has your band been together?

We started writing music together in November of 2018.

What was your band's first live show/ performance and what was memorable about it?

This will be our first live performance - we're stoked to make our favorite Denver festival our debut show.

What was the first album you purchased?

I bought Tragic Kingdom by No Doubt - appropriately purchased at the Orange County Swap Meet.

What album was your most recent purchase?

Technically the most recent purchase was Late 80s Baby by Trox out on Fresh Selects, but the most recent album I received was Can't Tell Me No by Summer Cannibals because I preordered that immediately when I saw it announced but it only recently shipped.

Do you have any advice for new bands?

We're a new band, do you have any advice for us? 

Besides your own band, who do you want to see at the UMS?

I'm probably most excited to catch Y La Bamba just over an hour after our set on Sunday. Mujeres has been on constant rotation for me since it was released earlier this year. I'm of course also excited to catch a lot of local talent - be sure not to miss John Medina into Jobi-Wan into Andy Immerman on Friday for some killer Denver electronic music.

Best past UMS experience?

Last year after My Body Sings Electric at Illegal Pete's I got a text or push notification from the UMS team that there were free burgers on the corner. We had caught a ton of shows in a row and that was thoroughly delightful.

Do you have any tips for festival goers?

Stay hydrated and bring hearing protection!

What's the best food people can find on Broadway during the festival?

I could really go for a corndog at Sputnik right now.

Who is your all time favorite Denver band?

All time is tough, but I'm currently really feeling Don Chicharrón's debut album. Gotta give Eldren a shout as well (we worked with Tyler from Eldren and recorded/mixed/mastered our debut string of singles with him). Both of those bands played killer shows at Treefort this year so they get my recency bias votes.

If you were behind the counter at Twist and Shout, what three albums would you recommend to our customers?

Rhema says New Order - Brotherhood, Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles, and Blood Orange - Negro Swan which are all killer albums. I'm going to add The Mystic by Bells Atlas, Hello, Summer by Pat Van Dyke, and 2nd by Grace Ives.

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

Foster a safe environment for yourself and those around and go catch some bands you're not familiar with.

I’d Love To Turn You On At The Movies #222 - Last Man Standing (1996, dir. Walter Hill)

            I went to film school because I really love film. That may seem like an obvious statement, but you might be surprised at the number of my fellow film school classmates that didn’t seem to know much or even particularly like many movies. There’s nothing more beautiful to me than a compelling story told through the lens of a gifted director with artful cinematography. It’s one of life’s truly greatest gifts. That being said, not everything has to be artful. Not everything has to be thought-provoking. Not everything has to even be tasteful. Sure, I love Fellini and Jodorowsky and Orson Welles but you know what? I also love Hot Tub Time Machine. I also love fucking Crocodile Dundee. I watched a new Adam Sandler movie LAST WEEK and had a blast with it. Sometimes I just need something completely mindless and entertaining for its own sake. And nothing can scratch that itch faster for me than a gratuitously violent action film. So today, I’m going to talk about Walter Hill’s 1996 gangster-noir-western Last Man Standing.

            This delightful little gun-fest is set in Prohibition-era Texas. The script is loosely based on the Akira Kurosawa samurai classic Yojimbo. If you’ve seen Kurosawa’s original, it’s easy to pick out some of the outline points but this film is, in true Walter Hill fashion, uniquely its own beast. Bruce Willis stars in the “man with no name” role as a fugitive who wanders into the small dirtball town of Jericho to find that two rival bootlegging gangs (one Irish, one Italian) have each set up their own operations in town. The gangs have an unspoken truce in place when Willis’ character, calling himself “John Smith,” arrives. Smith, seeing an opportunity for profit, immediately starts stirring up shit between the two gangs, offering himself up as a gun-for-hire to the highest bidder. After proving himself worthy by taking out a lieutenant from the Irish gang, he is quickly hired by the Italian gang, led by NYC mob boss Fredo Strozzi (Ned Eisenberg). After working for the Italians just long enough to learn their secrets, Smith then defects to the Irish gang, led by the cartoonish Mr. Doyle (David Patrick Kelly). Pitting the two gangs against each other and forcing a gang war, Smith continues to betray the trust of each of his former employers until everyone wants him dead. Except it's Bruce Willis, and the film is called Last Man Standing, so guess what….

            At the heart of it, it would seem like any other Bruce Willis action film. But hear me out here, because there is far more to this film, and in particular Bruce Willis’ Smith character, than meets the eye. Smith is not like other Bruce Willis action hero characters, like your Hudson Hawks and your John McClains. Smith is not a hero. He is not even a good guy. In fact, he might be the worst guy in Jericho which seems to be, with the exception of a spineless and corrupt sheriff (Bruce Dern), a mild-mannered innkeeper (William Sanderson) and a perpetually-grinning undertaker, a town made up entirely of criminals. Smith waltzes into town armed with two handguns and zero plans, and over a matter of days takes out hundreds of criminal gang members, never once missing and never taking a bullet himself. Smith is the main character and has the least amount of dialogue, barely saying ten words throughout the entire film (except when narrating). This monosyllabism adds to the sociopathy of his character, who seemingly enjoys just toying with these gang members just for the sake of it. Well, the sake of it and the money of it. The only time he shows any sign of a conscience is when he uses the money he’s made off the chaos between the gangs to pay the mistresses of both gang bosses so they can get out of town and start new lives. But even then he doesn’t show any romantic interest in either of them, and admittedly leaves Jericho with less money than he came in with. So perhaps he really did just disrupt everyone’s businesses and lives simply because he knew he could, which makes this character far more fascinating than just an average macho gunslinger. Less a dick-measuring contest and more a lesson in psychology. Also, you get to see Chris Walken play one of the most terrifying characters of his career, so that’s a plus.

            Anyway, if you judge this film based on most of the reviews online or its reception at the box office, then you’re really not giving it the credit it deserves. It’s an extremely underrated gem from a director who himself doesn’t get the credit he deserves. Whether you agree with that or not, at the very least watch it for the rad gunfights.

-         Jonathan Eagle

I'd Love to Turn You On #235 - Mary-Chapin Carpenter Come On, Come On (1992)

            Mary-Chapin Carpenter’s fourth album Come On, Come On will forever be a part of my life because of my mother. When I was a child I would dance in the kitchen with my mother to Carpenter or to Rod Stewart. She would pick me up and swing me around - it was our thing. While my musical taste tends to lean away from country/singer songwriters, I appreciate Mary-Chapin Carpenter and her ability to tell one hell of a story, to write and perform passionate songs about independence, and make me nostalgic for a time and place from my childhood. Come On, Come On does all of that in twelve songs.

 Released in 1992, it made a bit of a splash on the Billboard country charts with seven of its tracks making the list from 1992 to 1994 and the album went quadruple platinum. The album sounds wonderful, with a stacked list of guest vocalists including Rosanne Cash, the Indigo Girls, and Shawn Colvin plus musical greats like ‘Heartbreaker’ Benmont Tench on organ. Its country, folk, and pop sounding songs flow and fit in perfectly with Carpenter's keen storytelling ability. There are plenty of songs that are “dance in the kitchen” worthy as well as ones that will bring you to your knees, a good balance of upbeat and heartbreaking.

“Passionate Kisses,” originally performed by Lucinda Williams, has always been one of my favorites, its tempo made it great for dancing in the kitchen. “I’ll Take My Chances,” which reached #2 on the Billboard country charts in 1994, is an anthem that speaks to independence and the idea that fate should be tempted. “Only a Dream,” a song she wrote about the breakdown of her family and more specifically the breakdown of the relationship with her sister, pulls at the heart strings like no other. I have never experienced any of that and yet I still feel for her. She does such a good job of weaving a very complicated, painful personal story that everyone can understand and empathize with. “I Am a Town” is the best example of just how amazing she is as a storyteller and talented songwriter. This song paints a portrait of so many small Southern towns I know. It is beautiful and heart wrenching. She describes a Southern town in both feeling and actual landmarks. Lyrics like “pines behind the graveyard, and the cool beneath their shade” and “I am Pabst Blue Ribbon, American and ‘Southern Serves the South’” conjure up memories of when I was a kid watching those towns go by on the way to my maternal grandparents' house in rural north Alabama. The sweeping slow tune takes me to those sleepy Southern towns. It’s songs like this and many others on the album that dig a place in your heart and never leave.

Before I started writing this I asked my mother what the album means to her. My strong connection to this album is because of her and I felt I couldn’t do this justice without her input. She told me it was the first of Carpenter's albums that she really listened to and owned. She mapped out her thoughts and feelings about some of her favorites off the album. “He Thinks He’ll Keep Her” stands as the ultimate “eye roll” song about not taking people for granted but also appreciating that the more things change the more they stay the same. “Only a Dream” made her weep for Carpenter without ever having experienced the turmoil of a family breaking apart. She felt for her and her relationship with her sister - my mother grew up in a house full of sisters. Overall she said she just loved her sass, and this album has plenty of it. The one song that stole her heart was “I Am a Town.” She is a Southern girl raised in a small town in the 50’s and 60’s, and the song has a familiarity that she loves. It reminded her of her grandfather, Daddy Coy, of her Uncle Irvin, and the small town folks she grew up with. I’ve always known it is her favorite song of Carpenter's, and possibly her favorite song ever. It’s the one I’ve heard the most and the one that will always remind me of her. I have her to thank for my love of Mary-Chapin Carpenter.

She promised me the next time I'm home we can dance in the kitchen. I might be too big to be picked up and swung around, but I will never pass up a chance to dance in the kitchen with my mother. Mary-Chapin Carpenter plays at Red Rocks on July 14th with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra and Pink Martini. It will be my first time seeing her live. While it will be bittersweet to be there without my mother, I know it will be worth it to hear some of these songs in person and have them pull on my heartstrings like never before. 

-        Anna Lathem

I’d Love To Turn You On At The Movies #221 - Blue Velvet (1986, directed by David Lynch)

Let me start by saying that Blue Velvet has scenes in it that many people would find objectionable. It contains moments of disturbing violence and misogyny. The characters seem to have no redeeming qualities, and the action moves in a dreamy quality where behavior and motivation are unmoored from each other and one is left with a sense of physical and spiritual disorientation. Perhaps this was director David Lynch’s intention. Blue Velvet takes the viewer to a world where things seem comfortable and normal on the surface, but when one looks just below, there is a world crawling with ugliness and depravity. It is in the extraordinary detail that Mr. Lynch pays to both sides of this reality that defines the greatness of his movie.

The central metaphor in the film revolves around main character Jeffrey Beaumont (Kyle McLachlan) finding a severed human ear in a field near his parents’ house. The camera leads us into the ear and we do not come out until the story ends. The ear is a literal entry point to a mystery and a symbolic entry into the darkest parts of human behavior. Jeffrey takes the ear to the police, where he becomes reacquainted with the detective’s daughter Sandy (Laura Dern) who happens to be an old friend. Now as an unlikely “MacMillan and Wife” the pair set out to discover the truth about the ear. Of course, the truth is every bit as unsavory as one would imagine. The weird plot is secondary to the overall sense of dread that permeates nearly every scene. Jeffrey and Sandy become embroiled in the lives of a masochistic lounge singer played Isabella Rossellini and her lover/antagonist Frank Booth played with volcanic fury and cruelty by Dennis Hopper. Much of the movie’s fame and notoriety comes from the scenes with these two actors. Rossellini manages to be simultaneously sexy, tragic, dangerous and vulnerable. Her character is tortured by abuse, but seemingly gets sexual pleasure from it. Her behavior seems confounding, but by the end of the film we understand she is another symptom of this cinematic universe where we are constantly just on the edge between the normal “daytime” world and the shadowy underbelly of modern life. The lord of the underworld in this film is Frank Booth. Hopper creates a degenerate for the ages in the gas-huffing, drug dealing, sadistic hoodlum, setting the template for many bad guys to come in the modern age. He is the stereotype of the guy so beyond the law and the standard societal mores that he becomes a moral code unto himself. Hopper was coming off a long dry period in Hollywood, much of it the result of his own real-life Frank Booth-esque behavior, but because of the ferocious intensity of his portrayal his career began its much-celebrated upswing after Blue Velvet.

Ultimately, it is David Lynch who is the star of Blue Velvet. As mentioned, the movie contains scenes of extreme behavior, however Lynch keeps you engaged even as you are repulsed. It is his artist’s sense of the details that make them so indelible. One of the most memorable scenes of the movie involves Frank Booth visiting a drug dealing acquaintance. The scene is shot with garish surrealism as character actor Dean Stockwell pantomimes a Roy Orbison song like a scene from Cabaret. In this scene we are given clues to Frank Booth’s humanity and the underlying sadness of all the characters. A potentially throw-away scene illuminates all the themes running through the film. This type of juxtaposition is Lynch’s greatest asset. For every sun-soaked scene of suburbia there are two shadowy glimpses down dark alleys. As the seemingly straight relationship between Sandy and Jeffrey develops, Jeffrey’s feelings for Rossellini’s threatened lounge singer becomes a twisted love triangle with no satisfactory solution. Lynch’s vision may be upsetting but it is coherent. Not just coherent but, artistically rewarding, intellectually stimulating, philosophically challenging. Does love look the same for everyone? Are we all capable of descending to the lowest depths of depravity? Is there a definitive good and evil? Is there an ugly truth behind every lovely image? All thought-provoking ideas, and David Lynch explores them with a true artist’s touch. His technical skills are all marshalled to the perfect representation of the line between dark and light: capturing the moment it goes from day to dusk.

The final line spoken in the film is “It’s a strange world isn’t it?” Though it is meant in an ironic, almost comic way, director David Lynch puts to film the notion that there is much we don’t know in everyday life. To make seen the un-seeable is the artist’s task, and David Lynch succeeds like few others.

-         Paul Epstein

I'd Love to Turn You On #234 - Jaco Pastorius - Jaco Pastorius

            Starting your debut album off with a cover is a bold move no matter who you are, especially when it gets flipped completely upside down and becomes a minimalist piece. Jaco Pastorius starts off his first solo effort with a bass guitar rendition of Charlie Parker’s “Donna Lee,” which lays down a foundation for a career unlike anything else. Immediately you gravitate to the melody and with only conga drums in the background there is nothing to distract you from how gorgeous and rich just a fretless bass guitar can be. It’s very easy to get distracted by the immense skill that is presented on this album. Jaco made a name for himself being the absolute best, in a different universe from everyone else; he didn’t think of a bass like a bass, it was just an extension of his being. He displays his foundation of strong skills, a sense of melody on a non-melodic instrument, and appreciation for what came before all within the first two and a half minutes.

           After “Donna Lee” graces your ears, they get blown out with the opening horns of “Come On, Come Over” which is more like a standard funk song of the time, except the bass is the star. All the drums and grooves on this album come from a heavy influence of his Florida surroundings and Latin and Cuban music, but the way they tie into the solo bass pieces that are so gentle and have an intensity to them is a lot more human and emotional than any other bass player I’ve heard. Then you get flung right back into the funk side of things with “Kuru/Speak Like a Child.” Herbie Hancock makes an appearance here that is the equivalent to a rap feature, his presence is massive but him and Jaco going back and forth on this song is as exciting as Andre 3000 and Big Boi of Outkast trading verses. They play well together, nobody stepping on the other’s feet, and it’s never so much that it detracts from the song as a whole. The pattern of rich and warm ballads, then undeniable funk masterpieces continues with the harmonic “Portrait of Tracy,” which has become one of Jaco’s signature songs, floating through your mind and reminding you of young love like no other instrumental can. “Opus Pocus,” "Okonkolé Y Trompa," and "(Used to Be a) Cha-Cha" take you from this earth into an unknown dimension of groove and funk that I’ve not experienced anywhere else. It’s not quite the same place that bands like Parliament or Sly and the Family Stone were taking you to, this was funk in Jaco’s mind taking place in a space that we are able to visit for a short time.

Jaco has been called the Jimi Hendrix of bass, and this album is his Are You Experienced? The contents of this album opened up a door for bass players around the world - you suddenly didn’t have to be a background instrument that is just there to elevate the guitar, singer, or anybody else. The "Bass of Doom" and Jaco were the stars. He had a spell book that nobody else has been able to get access to since. There are people that can replicate what he does on a technical level, but none of it compares to how he plays. All of the technical stuff is really cool, but none of it really matters if the song doesn’t groove, move, and make you feel like dancing - which is the dynamic of this record, with the tight grooves that are so relaxed. The band is perfectly behind the beat at times where it’s so chill you want to lounge around with a margarita on a summer day. Then they come back around to being as tight and precise as any of the prog guys at the time.

There is so much to dig into on this album; it’s incredibly dense, but incredibly digestible. You don’t need to be a bass expert or know who Charlie Parker is to make this a great listen. This album reveals all of Jaco’s colors, which is appropriate because the cover is a black and white portrait of him looking right into the camera, no smile, nothing, which makes opening it up and hearing how colorful this album is that much more exciting.

-         Max Kafuman