Music of Colorado
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Colorado is a state of the United States, and has a notable reputation for music. The state has a many vibrant scenes and venues, especially in the larger cities like Denver and Colorado Springs.
Colorado's orchestras include the Colorado Springs Symphony, Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra, Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra, Telluride Chamber Orchestra, Pikes Peak Philharmonic, Pueblo Symphony (affiliated with Colorado State University-Pueblo, Music Department) [1], Colorado Symphony Orchestra and the Fort Collins Symphony Orchestra.
Music festivals in modern Colorado include the Strings in the Mountains Music Festival and Colorado Music Fest in Pueblo held between June-July every year. There are many music festivals in modern Colorado. The CHUN People's Fair is arguably the largest local music festival, with estimated attendance over 200,000 (according to the People's Fair website). Telluride hosts three festivals a year. Planet Bluegrass in Lyons hosts three major events a year. Fort Collins plays host to Bohemian Nights @ New West Fest, at which over 50 local acts perform on multiple stages. Denver's Westword Magazine holds an annual local music festival that over 80 acts perform at, which precedes the Westword Music Awards.
Folk and traditional music in Colorado has been an intricate part of the local popular culture in the last century. Popular modern bluegrass bands include The Blue Canyon Boys and High Plains Tradition. The Colorado Bluegrass Music Society exists to promote Coloradan bluegrass music, and publishes a magazine called Pow'r Pickin'.
Today, such organizations as the Colorado Music Association, Colorado Music Company and others exists to promote Coloradan music.
Contents |
[edit] Rock
Colorado's role in the history of rock music is quite intricate, and is often overlooked and argued upon by music historians. In the 1960's, the expolsive era of folk music, Denver became a folk rock epicenter for the mountain west and central plains. As decades progressed as did popular music in rock n' roll, the music scene began to mature as well, with a more broad range of styles, genres and scenes to explore within the state, especially Denver.
[edit] Punk
In the early 1970s, the band Zephyr became the hottest regional act, though they never broke in across the country. During the same period, a large number of Californian musicians, especially hippies, moved to Colorado. Coloradan punk rock began in 1976, with the formation of a Boulder group called The Ravers, who released a single for Screwball Records, the first punk recording from Colorado, before moving to New York City and becoming The Nails.
Though The Ravers had to leave Colorado for New York, the state's punk scene grew steadily more vibrant. A Wax Trax! Records store in Denver helped in this transition; store owners Jim Nash and Dannie Flesher had an enormous impact on the local music scene. The store hosted weekly parties beginning in 1977, where DJs played New Wave and punk rock. By the end of the decade, local bands became well-known in cities across the state; these included The Front, Corvairs, The Young Weasels, Dancing Asseholes, Defex, The Violators, The Guys and Johny Three.
In the 1980s, popular local bands included the funk-punk band Urban Leash, Gothic rock band The Soul Merchants, Acid Ranch, Electric Third Rail, Jux County, The Pink and Church and State. The Fluid was perhaps the most notable band, however, and was one of the very first to sign to the Sub Pop record label.
Later punk bands from Colorado included Grimace the Down-N-Outs, ALL, and Pinhead Circus.
[edit] Denver-grown genres
[edit] Denver Bands and Artists
Local bands and musicians as well as those often associated with Denver include:
- Opie Gone Bad (Rock/Funk)
- Jeff Finlin (Americana/Pop/Country)
- 16 Horsepower (Rock/Gothic-Indie-Country)
- The Apples in Stereo (Indie/Pop)
- Big Head Todd and the Monsters (Rock)
- Earth, Wind and Fire (R&B/Soul)
- John Denver (Folk)
- Bob Dylan (Folk/Rock)
- The Dave Matthews Band (Pop/Rock)
- Denver Harbor (Alternative)
- The Czars (Rock/Indie/Alternative)
- Judy Collins (Folk)
- Sheryl Crow (Rock/Folk)
- Bob Seger (Rock/Country)
- India.Arie (R&B/Soul)
- Philip Bailey (R&B/Funk)
- Dressy Bessy (Indie)
- The Fray (Alternative)
- Five Iron Frenzy (Ska)
- Roper (Pop/Punk)
- The Minders (Indie)
- Opera Colorado (Opera)
- Empire Lyric Players (Gilbert and Sullivan Operettas)
- Dianne Reeves (Jazz)
- Slim Cessna's Auto Club (Rock- Gothic-Indie-Country)
- Jill Sobule (Folk)
- String Cheese Incident (Rock)
- Zephyr (Punk)
- Michael Sharp Cole (Acoustic Rock/Indie)
- Soft Machine (Rock/Jazz)
- Vanilla Fudge (Rock/Metal)
- DeVotchKa (Indie/Alternative - Post Rock)
- Vaux (Alternative)
- Winger (Rock/Metal)
- Hot IQs (Rock/Pop - Indie/Alternative)
- Ron miles (Jazz)
- Purnell Steen and LeJazz Machine
- Charles Burrell
- Optimal Frequency (rock/reggae/hip-hop)
- Dualistics (Rock/pop)
- The Photo Atlas (Rock/Pop - Indie/Alternative)
- John Common (Rock/Pop - Indie/Alternative)
- Angie Stevens (Americana - Folk Rock - Adult Alternative)
- Velvet Acid Christ (Electronica/Industrial)
- Antonia Brico (Classical)
[edit] Trivia and Facts
- John Denver lived both in the Denver metro area and Aspen (He was born in Roswell, New Mexico), where he received inspiration for many of his songs depicting life in Colorado. Selecting the surname "Denver" for his favorite city, he rose to worldwide fame with such ballads as Rocky Mountain High , Starwood in Aspen , I Guess He'd Rather Be In Colorado , and Me and my Uncle , in which he lyrically declares "I'm about as honest as a Denver man can be!"
- The Jimi Hendrix Experience broke up in Denver, after the historic and anticipated Denver Pop Festival of 1969. Hendrix both designed the cover of the Electric Ladyland album and wrote the song Room Full of Mirrors one night at the Cosmopolitan Hotel. A local favorite during their superstardom-reign, the Experience played to often over-crowded audiences at Hendrix' supposed favorite venue, Red Rocks.
- Judy Collins, another folk singer, was raised in Denver and attended East High School. Conductor Antonia Brico was her childhood piano teacher. Several of her songs feature mentioning of Colorado.
- Bob Dylan recorded a live album in Denver, and lived in Capitol Hill for several years, where he got his start playing local folk clubs for several dollars. Today he owns a home in Telluride, Colorado.
- American Idol has scouted Denver on several occasions, and found Ace Young who was a finalist in the fifth season.
- The Denver Center for the Performing Arts is one of the largest centers of its kind in the western hemisphere, and the second largest performing arts center in the world, only behind the Kennedy Center.
[edit] Local Releases (2006)
0. Optimal Frequency- Photosynthesis (rock/reggae/hip-hop)
1. 12 Cents for Marvin – Change (Rock/Pop)
2. 18 Wheeler - Charmed Life (Rock/Pop)
3. 2 Sense - Streets Ain't Ready (Hip-hop/Rap)
4. 3 Peas - Breathing Room (Jazz)
5. 8om - All the Things You Can't Leave Behind (Metal/Loud)
6. 8trac - falling up (Soul/R&B)
7. A Certain Urgency - Stories from the Big City (Rock/Pop)
8. a Melodic Daydream - a Melodic Daydream (Rock/Pop)
9. a Melodic Daydream - Pool or Pond (ep) (Rock/Pop)
10. Abandonato - Autumn Songs (Rock/Pop)
11. Aloft in the Sundry - manuscript novella (Rock/Pop)
12. Apostasy - Lone Wolf (Hip-hop/Rap)
13. Astrophagus – Casualite (Rock/Pop)
14. Basheba Earth – Mothership (Hip-hop/Rap)
15. Betawave – Betawave (Electronic)
16. Bolin, Tommy - Whips and Roses (Rock/Pop)
17. Born 2 Die - World's Most Wanted (Hip-hop/Rap)
18. Boulder Acoustic Society - 8th Color (Folk)
19. Brainpan – Reckoning (Metal/Loud)
20. Brendan McKinney - My Dad's Car (Country)
21. Brown Knights - Criminal Thoughts (Hip-hop/Rap)
22. Clymer, Clint - It's All About the Ride (Country)
23. Common, John - Good To Be Born (Rock/Pop)
24. Company of Stangerz - New Day (Hip-hop/Rap)
25. Cowboy Curse - Nod Up and Down (to the simulcast singing) (Rock/Pop)
26. Czars, the - Sorry I Made You Cry (Rock/Pop)
27. D.O. The Fabulous Drifter - Industry Guys (Hip-hop/Rap)
28. D.O.R.K. - Suck It! (Rock/Pop)
29. Davis, Anthony Band - Anthony Davis Band ep (Rock/Pop)
30. December Question, the - Stained Glass Eyes (Rock/Pop)
31. DeVotchKa - Curse Your Little Heart (Rock/Pop)
32. Distrakt – Distraktions (Hip-hop/Rap)
33. Downing, Jason & Musketeer Gripweed - Peace Will Win (Rock/Pop)
34. Drag the River - It's Crazy(Rock/Pop)
35. Drop Dead Gorgeous - In Vogue (Metal/Loud)
36. Egoevadiggin - T.A.I.M. (The Ascetic in Me)(Hip-hop/Rap)
37. Everything Absent Or Distorted - The Soft Civil War (Rock/Pop)
38. Fear Before the March of Flames - The Always Open Mouth (Metal/Loud)
39. Finlin, Jeff - Alive and Retrospective Volume 1 (Rock/Pop)
40. Forged In Violet - Pura Vida (Rock/Pop)
41. Fray, the - Live at the Electric Factory (Rock/Pop)
42. Furay, Richie - Heartbeat of Love (Rock/Pop)
43. Future Loss - Last Ones Standing (Rock/Pop)
44. Ganley, Ash and the Lyons Rock Council - Dark Fuel (Rock/Pop)
45. Ghost Buffalo - Ghost Buffalo (Rock/Pop)
46. Giordano, Kenny - Future Full & Free (Country)
47. GoGo Lab - The Stakeout (Jazz)
48. Hunter, Zachary - In Your Dreams (Country)
49. Indiens – Maroon (Hip-hop/Rap)
50. Indulgers, The - Out In The West(Rock/Pop)
51. Jay May - Double Edge Sword (Hip-hop/Rap)
52. Kevin Pistol - Collecting My Thoughts (Hip-hop/Rap)
53. Killin'em Ent. Presents - Shots Fired (Hip-hop/Rap)
54. King Rat - Duct Tape and Dreams (Rock/Pop)
55. L.A.R. - Guerilla Sound Waves (Hip-hop/Rap)
56. Lalla Rookh - Test of Time (Celtic)
57. Lionvibes - Full Stride (Reggae)
58. Masters, Danny - Keepers of the Time (Rock/Pop)
59. Meese – Meese (Rock/Pop)
60. Mega Mills - Go Hard or Go Broke (Hip-hop/Rap)
61. Mental Morphus - From A Grassroot Perspective (Hip-hop/Rap)
62. Miller, Glenn - Best of Glenn Miller - Direct Source (Jazz)
63. Miller, Glenn - Stardust - Sounds of Yesteryear (Jazz)
64. Minnotte, Ben - Greetings from Elderbrush Gulch (Rock/Pop)
65. Mizphit - Symphony of Shadows (Hip-hop/Rap)
66. Mo Better - Making of a New Classic (Hip-hop/Rap)
67. Moccasin - Last Leaf (Rock/Pop)
68. Mojomama - Think, Feel, Love, Listen (Rock/Pop)
69. Motet, the - Instrumental Dissent (Jazz)
70. Mr. D.A.W.G. - Trailz of What I See (Hip-hop/Rap)
71. Orbit Service - Songs of Eta Carinae (Rock/Pop)
72. Oxnard, Liza – Liza (Rock/Pop)
73. Panda The Pennickle Player Willove - Alpine Zenith Segacity (Hip-hop/Rap)
74. Paradox - Tingly Tip of the Antecoon (Hip-hop/Rap)
75. Perpetual Motion - String Theory (Instrumental)
76. Playalitical (Young Droop Pres.) - Code Green: Operation Takeover (Hip-hop/Rap)
77. Prayata – Prayata (Rock/Pop)
78. Procussions, The - 5 Sparrows for 2 Cents (Hip-hop/Rap)
79. Pyle, Chuck - True Unity (Rock/Pop)
80. Rangell, Nelson - Soul to Souls (Jazz)
81. Reid, Basil – Prayers (Reggae)
82. Rent to Own – Euphoria (Rock/Pop)
83. Rhythm Vision - 'the future of things silent' (Hip-hop/Rap)
84. Right Aways - Our Blessed Lady of Acceleration (Rock/Pop)
85. Rose Hill Drive - Rose Hill Drive (Rock/Pop)
86. Rose, Elizabeth - Act II (Rock/Pop)
87. Rustcycle – Daisho (Rock/Pop)
88. S.O.C.O.M. - Tha Arrival (Hip-hop/Rap)
89. Satan's Preacher Man - Satan's Preacher Man: The Blues Opera (Blues)
90. Semifreak – semifreak (Metal/Loud)
91. Shoreline Dream - Avoiding the Consequences (Rock/Pop)
92. Shuffield, Sally - Something In The Water (Folk)
93. Sidewise - Digest the Moon (Rock/Pop)
94. Sir Git Rich Trucc - New Color of Money (Hip-hop/Rap)
95. Skor Dawg - Playin to Keepz (Hip-hop/Rap)
96. SNJ - SNJ (Shawn and John) (Hip-hop/Rap)
97. Sonny C - Sonny C (Hip-hop/Rap)
98. Soul Creek – Positivity (Rock/Pop)
99. Spirits of the Trash - Trip Between Our Galaxies (Rock/Pop)
100. Sputter, the - The Great Unseen (Jazz)
101. Starfuzz - Product for American Radio (Rock/Pop)
102. Stephanie Pauline - Rush the Sea (Rock/Pop)
103. Stevens, Angie - Stand Up Girl 1 (Rock/Pop)
104. Stevens, Angie - Stand Up Girl 2 (Rock/Pop)
105. Still Catchin Wreck - Greatest That Never Made It (Hip-hop/Rap)
106. Strange Condition - Sometime Saturday (Rock/pop)
107. Strugglas - Bounce Back (Hip-hop/Rap)
108. Subdudes, the - Behind the Levee (Rock/Pop)
109. Suello - Lyrically Speaking (Hip-hop/Rap)
110. Surmen - Mutants on Display (Hip-hop/Rap)
111. Sweet Sunny South - Wild n Swingin (Bluegrass)
112. Swift Fashoshot - Can You Hear Me Now? (Hip-hop/Rap)
113. Tarmints - Toil Like Devils (Metal/Loud)
114. Ten Tiers - Don's Club Tavern Pt I (Rock/Pop)
115. Tha' Movement - Spiritual Journey Through Everyday Life (Hip-hop/Rap)
116. Traviesos - Full Time Fools (Hip-hop/Rap)
117. Trinidad Joshua Trio – Invention (Jazz)
118. TT Lester - The Growin' Thin EP (Rock/Pop)
119. Turner, Eddie - The Turner Diaries (Rock/Pop)
120. Vanessa, Audrey - 1800 Miles Later (Rock/Pop)
121. Various - 10th Annual Fargo Blues Festival (Blues)
122. Various - Tribe Called Glitch V.1: Elements of Circuitry (Electronic)
123. Various - Cash Bangin' Compilation V.1 (Hip-hop/Rap)
124. Various - V.2Denver's Most Wanted (Hip-hop/Rap)
125. Various - V.2 Inidividual Kings Kompilation: I2K (Hip-hop/Rap)
126. Various - Oskar's Blues Colorado Music Sampler (Rock/Pop)
127. Various - Oskar's Blues Singing 12 Pack (Rock/Pop)
128. Various - Seven Dead Roses Vol I (Rock/Pop)
129. Vaux - Beyond Virture, Beyond Vice (Metal/Loud)
130. Von, Scott - Moving Stones (Rock/Pop)
131. Wagner, Max - This Can't Be Love (Jazz)132. Whalen, Coles - Gee-Baby (Rock/Pop)
133. Wofford, Halden & the Hi-Beams - Midnight Rodeo (Country)
134. Wovenhand – Mosiac (Rock/Pop)
135. Wright, Allison - My Story (Soul/R&B)
136. Yonder Mountain String Band - Yonder Mountain String Band (Rock/Pop)
137. Young Juk - Most Anticipated (Hip-hop/Rap)
138. Young, Doe - Broken Home (w/DVD) (Hip-hop/Rap)
[edit] List of Colorado Music Venues
[edit] Denver
Swallow Hill Music Hall
Bluebird Theater
Gothic Theater
Oriental Theater
Larimer Lounge
hi-dive
Three Kings Tavern
Lion's Lair
Walnut Room
Soiled Dove Underground
Ogden Theater
Bender's Tavern
Old Curtis Street Bar
[edit] Boulder
Fox Theater
Boulder Theater
[edit] Fort Collins
Aggie Theater
Surfside Seven
