Music Musings Tag

Every great and iconic album has a story. When Lady Gaga met Tony Bennett backstage at the Robin Hood Foundation gala in New York City, she impressed him with her rendition of Orange Colored Sky by Nat King Cole. This led to Bennett asking Gaga to sing a song on his Duets II album, the two becoming close friends, and eventually releasing Cheek to Cheek together, one of the best studio albums from 2014. And everywhere in the history of music, there are interesting tales hiding behind every album. WhenRead More

Walking into the Fox Theater, you can definitely tell you’re in Boulder, Colorado. Tattoos, wide brim hats, and beards: the classic recipe for a Rainbow Kitten Surprise concert.  With a name that never fails to raise eyebrows and initiate some giggles, RKS has a unique sound that melds well with their namesake. Originating in their college dorm room, this 5 piece band from North Carolina has taken the indie music scene by storm, reinventing what this genre means to many. With bluegrass, rock, and rap influences mixed into unexpected andRead More

Colorado’s biggest dance music event of the summer gets a change of scenery to celebrate its 15th anniversary – Global Dance Festival (GDF) moves from Red Rocks Amphitheater to Sports Authority Field this year. GDF ’17 will take place July 21-22 and will transform the Broncos’ stadium into every raver’s dream. Going for an Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC)-like vibe, Global is changing things up by adding art installations, a silent disco, a shaded arcade (encouraging people to take breaks from the intense Colorado sun), multiple food trucks and various carnivalRead More

Smoke & Fire. Have you ever heard that one track that makes you stop for a second and consider the beauty that is music, and the way it can affect each and every one of us so differently? Especially in today’s world? So much of the music produced is thrown aside simply because it’s in one genre or the other, or because so-and-so made it and they have beef with another person and therefore you, good conscious moral you, can’t listen to it on principle. But then you’ll hear theRead More

Fans of British jangle pop rejoice! The 1975 will return later this afternoon with their new single “Love Me,” which drops at approximately 4PM/PST. How can we be so sure, you ask? Two weeks ago, the notoriously cryptic band posted a countdown on the splash page of their website teasing only that something big was on the horizon. Well, the short wait and speculation are both over. // L O V E M E – H O T T E S T R E C O R D – TRead More

Pre-Concert You’re excited, but it hasn’t really sunk in yet. Are you sure you have legitimate tickets? What if somehow you got sold a double and when you get there, they won’t let you in? Oh God, are you sure you’re even ready to go? Mostly you’re just nervous about having everything. Your cell phone? Charger? Wallet with merch money? All the Could-Go-Wrongs and Might-Happens are in full force, and the nerves are overriding the crazy waves of euphoria you should be feeling right now. It means so much toRead More

Though their third studio effort Pop Psychology may be just over a year in the past, alt-pop band Neon Trees aren’t ready to take a break just yet. This June, the Provo, Utah quartet will embark on their aptly-titled “An Intimate Night with Neon Trees” tour, during which they will be playing a series of small venues across the US. And since their latest hit single “Sleeping with a Friend” has long since faded from the airwaves, Tyler Glenn and company have decided the best way to mark the occasion isRead More

Recently I was approached by a teenager who had seen me editing my music in the library. This is how our interaction went down: Kid: “Whoa, are you a DJ?!” Me: “No, I’m a guitarist.” Kid: “Oh…” (walks away). My oh my how times are a changin’. Dylan is still right. That’s why this past weekend was refreshing. Between the Grammy’s and MusiCares awards, we saw a renewed appreciation for actual musicians.   MusiCares An annual event honoring the lifetime achievement of the greatest musicians in history wouldn’t be completeRead More

MTV might have taken the music out of television, but an accompanying visual to a song can enhance and express the artist’s vision. Here are ten music videos to watch this week:   1. Budapest – George Ezra Listen to the song before watching the video, and see if the real George Ezra looks like the George Ezra of your imagination.       2. I’m Not The Only One – Sam Smith Glee’s Dianna Agron and The Mindy Project’s Chris Messina star in this heartbreaking video from the balladeer.Read More

Andre 3000 for President. Ahem, ahem! Listen up! It’s been awhile since anyone shed some light on some of the celebrities leading the culture. Whether good or bad, the celebrities are the ones showing most of the population how to dress and how to dance and how to talk. They have the loudest voices and while many of them use it to compete in the “Who can be more outlandish for views?” competition; some of them actually use it to inspire deeper thinking or activate action. The list of celebritiesRead More

Everyone knows that the music industry has changed in the internet age. From the way artists are discovered by labels through YouTube or Vine to the way little known music explodes over Spotify, music and the internet go together hand in hand. One of my favorite new developments, one that doesn’t get as much discussion as Spotify, is SoundCloud. SoundCloud has become the best place on the internet to share, discover and listen to remixes, covers and collaborations that don’t fall under one convenient artist. Think about it, how annoyingRead More

More than just YOLO, or fuck bitches, get money, here are some rap lines that I’m currently using as my personal mantras, and why you should too.   1. These hoes ain’t loyal (Chris Brown & Lil Wayne, “These Hoes Ain’t Loyal”)– Life isn’t fair, and a lot of the time people won’t treat you the way you treat them. That’s cause these hoes ain’t loyal. Please note, the term ho is not gender specific and both men and women (and non-binary people) can all have ho-ish tendencies. That’s why the sooner youRead More

1. A$AP Ferg, Lac Lac: “A$AP, the vision’s so clear / I can see you haters from here / Can’t knock me outta my chair / My flow you won’t come near” Really I could have stopped at A$AP the vision’s so clear, because like wtf that sounds like a bad line from a fight song. “Harris Hall, the vision’s so clear.” And the rest doesn’t really warrant an analysis because it’s just lame. Straight-up lame.   2. Big K.R.I.T., “What You Know About It”: Suicide doors, Cobaine on ’em.Read More

Note: I write these events as they happened from my vantage point. My friend Johna can validate the Boulder part of my story as she was there to witness it all. I write this with no judgment of any parties involved and leave the facts up to reader interpretation.   It has taken me almost four months to figure out how to tell the story of my almost interview with the now somewhat infamous DJ duo, The Chainsmokers… I fought with myself about how to best relate the tale. But after allRead More

We all have those days when we don’t feel great about ourselves or are struggling through a rough time. Here’s a colorful playlist to give you the self-esteem boost you deserve!   All About That Bass, Meghan Trainor This body-positive anthem is all about embracing your curves. It’s a really wonderful message, not to mention a great pop song. Preach, Ms. Trainor, preach. Can’t wait to see what this up-and-comer does next!   Beautiful, Carole King There are no lyrics more empowering than, “You’re beautiful as you feel.” Carole King is aRead More