Category: Breaking Cont…

Continued music news.

Music News: Michael Gira announces plans to reactivate Swans in the Fall
January 21, 2010 Off

Music News: Michael Gira announces plans to reactivate Swans in the Fall

By Billy Thieme

Michael Gira, founder of Young God Records and vocalist/visionary front for Angels of Light, used to live a somewhat louder existence. An existence replete with just as much musical and lyrical beauty as the Angels’ output of over the past decade, but one that was also terrifyingly violent, brutal, hostile and swathed in a noise that had not been heard before, and has (so far) not been heard again since it was silenced with the death of his first band, Swans.

And Gira has announced what was constantly up to now only seen as an impossibility: he’s decided to reactivate the legendary band, and will release a new collection of songs (tentatively) in the fall of 2010. Plans for touring are also reportedly in the works.

Threading the Scene: Denver’s Deadbubbles’ unbeatable live show comes easy, but packs plenty of raw power
November 14, 2009 Off

Threading the Scene: Denver’s Deadbubbles’ unbeatable live show comes easy, but packs plenty of raw power

By Billy Thieme

Arlo White has always wanted to be in a band. “Ever since I was a kid,” he told me during a recent discussion, “I’ve always been focused on the idea of being in a rock band . . . .” After years of trying repeatedly to pull friends, friends of friends, people he’d meet at shows – and just about anyone else – into his dream, he’s finally met it with Denver’s Deadbubbles. This band is one that Jack Black’s character in “School of Rock,” die-hard rock ‘n roll fan Dewey Finn, would be proud of – one that mixes passion and simplicity with solid knowledge and respect for the classics.

Fiercely Local: Jam Space USA and Whisper Fiercely join forces for the Denver music scene
November 5, 2009 Off

Fiercely Local: Jam Space USA and Whisper Fiercely join forces for the Denver music scene

By Billy Thieme

Two local businesses, each with some pretty serious clout and equally serious dedication to the local Denver music scene, recently joined forces to offer local bands, beginners or otherwise, a huge resource center to help them succeed. Whisper Fiercely has been a successful production company for the past two years and have always focused on the local. The group offers bands (and other businesses) design, merchandise, promotion and marketing help, and were also instrumental in organizing, promoting, booking and executing EchoFest ’09, the local band extravaganza (there were over 20 local bands on the lineup) at Echo Mountain. Jam Space USA, a local studio facility on North Federal, opened just a year ago, and offers local musicians professionally and fully stocked and wired studio and recording space, as well as promotional support. A few months ago, Whisper Fiercely moved into the building, and the two have decided to collaborate.

New Release: Los Straitjackets “Yuletide Beat” available for pre-order – and they have a groovy Holiday Gift Pack, too!
October 19, 2009 Off

New Release: Los Straitjackets “Yuletide Beat” available for pre-order – and they have a groovy Holiday Gift Pack, too!

By Billy Thieme

Rock’s favorite luchadores, Los Straitjackets, continue to set the wave for shimmering yuletide surf-rock joy with their latest release, “Yuletide Beat,” available for pre-order from Yep Roc Records now. A follow up to their massively popular 2002 holiday release “Tis the Season for Los Straitjackets,” the new record has been made available in a VERY limited edition (1,000 CDs/1,000 vinyl copies) for order now.

New Release: Local Shakedown, Vol. 3 – Radio 1190’s brilliant snapshot of the Denver scene
October 13, 2009 Off

New Release: Local Shakedown, Vol. 3 – Radio 1190’s brilliant snapshot of the Denver scene

By Billy Thieme

If you’re familiar with Radio 1190 (KVCU Boulder, The University of Colorado at Boulder’s independent station) in general, or their weekly Friday afternoon show dedicated to the local scene in particular, you already have a pretty good idea of the significance of this release. “Local Shakedown, Vol 3,” is the third installment of the radio station’s compilation of the best of the local best, and this year’s promises to be the best so far.

New Releases: Lisa Germano, Elvis Perkins In Dearland – 10/06/09
October 6, 2009 Off

New Releases: Lisa Germano, Elvis Perkins In Dearland – 10/06/09

By Billy Thieme

Germano: The first time I heard the ethereal, esoteric and often terrifying music of Lisa Germano on her CD “Happiness” in 1994 (through oversized headphones attached to my DiscMan), I was immediately addicted.

Perkins: Elvis Perkins’ musical genre falls somewhere between dixieland jazz and “freak folk,” between Hollywood and Bourbon Street. He and the other members of ” Elvis Perkins In Dearland” are about to release the new 6-song “Doomsday EP,” a perfect melange of their sound, October 20.