The Denver Music Board

Young Coyotes were on my show yesterday ... I'm editing out the interview and posting it later ...

Got a chance to go out last night to a couple of shows

Rd 34
Boulder Acoustic Society --- smoking set that ended before midnight (nice!), included nearly all new songs set to be released this summer on Nine Mile Records
Gregory Alan Isakov --- Gregory in a crowded bar with lots of noise just never made sense to me ... but there he was, opening for BAC.

Deliver Darfur Benefit at Everyday Joes.
Dan Craig --- sorry to say that after hangin out and talking to Dan I had to miss his set ... damned blood sugar crashed, and they only have sweet things to eat at Everyday Joes. Dan has a new ep coming out. We're planning on him being on my show next Saturday.
Young Coyotes --- fun in the studio, and really good songs, but I had to leave the room when these fellas played. It's all very heavy on the drums and distorted acoustic guitar played very loudly. It was painful in that room. It'd be fun to see them outdoors somewhere.
Bad Weather California -- a very very pleasant surprise. A very original sounding indie-alt-country-folk-rock vibe about the whole thing w/ nice use of spacial vocal efx. New cd to drop in April features Nataniel (BitF, The Wheel) on guitar throughout.
The Wheel --- Nate kills it ... every time. Smoking voice ... eccentric personality ... off the wall melody structures... it was nice to hang out with him after the set. New BitF disc coming soon ... looking forward to having him on the show also in Feb or March.

I know there's a huge buzz on Young Coyotes. I've seen them twice, and both times I left shaking my head wondering what the hype about the band is. When I saw them, the drum stuff was so out of time and all over the board I just didn't get it. If you're going to have a drum heavy band, you gotta be able to keep time. Maybe they've been practicing to a click track the last 6 months because from what I saw, they certainly needed a lot of work.

Goat wrote:

Bad Weather California -- a very very pleasant surprise. A very original sounding indie-alt-country-folk-rock vibe about the whole thing w/ nice use of spacial vocal efx. New cd to drop in April features Nataniel (BitF, The Wheel) on guitar throughout.

I'm a big fan of these guys live. A Bad Weather California show is kinda like a revival in some respect, not to mention the excellent use of effects on the slide guitar. Dig them.

Flattoe Mo' wrote:I know there's a huge buzz on Young Coyotes. I've seen them twice, and both times I left shaking my head wondering what the hype about the band is. When I saw them, the drum stuff was so out of time and all over the board I just didn't get it. If you're going to have a drum heavy band, you gotta be able to keep time. Maybe they've been practicing to a click track the last 6 months because from what I saw, they certainly needed a lot of work.

did we see them at the marquee party last summer?

Young Coyotes absolutely kill it; love that band! But then again, Moros Eros' first disc is one of my favorites of the past decade. Zach has one of the more impressive voices I've ever heard...

The whole "out of time drums" and "distorted acoustic guitar" comments have me wondering, though. What did you guys see, exactly? Each time we've played with them (the last time being just a couple weeks ago), it's been clean acoustic, straight to a DI. Was the soundman clipping the channel? And I'm as much of a stickler about keeping time as anyone and I've never noticed Adam not keeping immaculate time in any band he's played in (The Axe, Chain Gang, etc.).

I hate to say it

but so many "buzzworthy" bands that get precious ink space in the daily newspapers and occasionally in the Boulder and Denver weekly papers absolutely suck live

I know this may start a raging discussion and bruise some feelings, but fer chrissakes why are bands that can barely entertain a crowd, sing in tune, or play their instruments being touted as the next big thing?

I won't point any fingers or call any bands out, but I've been to more than few shows of buzzed about local bands excited to see what the buzz is all about only to leave disssapointed in the utterly sh*tty way the band performed

and again, I won't call any bands out, but I went to private invite only big industry showcase concert for one VERY popular local indie band last Spring...the band was absolutely horrible when they performed. The drummer couldn't keep time and lost the beat often. The guitar player forgot song sections and played numerous sour notes, the lead vocals were noticeably off key, the background vocals were terrible, etc...basically it was pretty obvious that the band was not very well rehearsed for this very important showcase gig

another time (Ten Cent Rhett will remember this one), a certain very buzzed about indie band stopped in the middle of their set at a downtown Denver outdoor concert because their stupid speak and spell didn't work right. The band stopped playing because of their technical difficulties with their crappy thrift store electronic toy "instruments"...so now hundreds of people are listening to dead air staring at this weirdly dressed indie band who are fiddling with their speak and spells...

I was horrified at what I was witnessing

then the singer CAME OFF STAGE AND WALKED UP TO ME AT THE SOUND BOOTH IN FRONT OF THE ASSEMBLED CROWD AND SAID HIS STUFF WAS BROKE AND THAT HE NEEDED TIME TO FIX IT. I told him to get back on stage and start playing music, any music, something that didn't involve their speak and spells...RIGHT NOW! The singer walked away deafeated from the confrontation and resumed the stage and played a few more songs until I had our soundman notify them their time was up. Best part was that this crappy indie band blamed the soundman for their technical problems. the truth was that this band was just not ready for Prime Time (as a certain someone famously said affterwards).

Needless to say, this buzzed about indie band's set was cut short and I was all too happy to see them leave that day. They not only could barely play their instruments, they were terrible performers who obviously had no clue how to perform live

yet I kept in reading how awesome this band was in the newspapers for 12 months after that...incredible...

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yo Stillcity...did you actually suggest that it could have been the soundguy who may have responsible for the Young Coyotes drummer sounding out of time? In no universe have I ever seen a soundman that could make a drummer sound out of time...is that even possible?

I've had a chance to play with them on a bill. Last Fall at the Lark. I thought they sounded really good. No prob with the guitar sound, and all the drum work was dead on. I guess the soundguy was keeping those drums in time that night.

I thought the open sound of the band was cool, and obviously the vocal carries most of their stuff. Really solid band.

thestillcity wrote:Young Coyotes absolutely kill it; love that band! But then again, Moros Eros' first disc is one of my favorites of the past decade. Zach has one of the more impressive voices I've ever heard...

The whole "out of time drums" and "distorted acoustic guitar" comments have me wondering, though. What did you guys see, exactly? Each time we've played with them (the last time being just a couple weeks ago), it's been clean acoustic, straight to a DI. Was the soundman clipping the channel? And I'm as much of a stickler about keeping time as anyone and I've never noticed Adam not keeping immaculate time in any band he's played in (The Axe, Chain Gang, etc.).

I really like what they're doing, so I hope you don't get me wrong ... and yes, maybe it was something in the way the house soundguy mixed, since it did appear to me that it was a clean acoustic via DI ... and perhaps the soundguy, in an effort to get the guitar in front of the overly loud drums, pushed the limit of the gear at the venue. Such was not the case with Bad Weather California however, who played electrically, and I could hear every single note sung and played by every instrument.

RE: Dutch's criticisms .. I've had a bit of a problem there too ... with highly touted bands whose live performances were at best questionable.

I have seen that many bands just starting out playing very small clubs like the Meadowlark or the Hi Dive sound like crap when they play larger rooms

so maybe in defense of the young Coyotes, they aren't used to performing at larger clubs with different acoustic characteristics...

I REALLY notice how bands (especially indie bands with delicate songs) that play small clubs sound terrible when they play larger outdoor stage gigs

I guess i'd chalk it up to just a lack of stage time and playing experience as up and coming musicians

I saw them at the Bluebird, which might have been for the Westword awards? I can't remember, other than the guys I was with and me were shaking our heads saying 'what the fuck is this?'? Seriously, one of the most poorly performed rhythm sets of music I have seen from a buzz band in the area. I do believe they played the Marquee party as well, but not sure I saw them then. Maybe it was at the Denver Post thing when I saw them again or at Monolith. Regardless, they must be a lot better than what I saw if some of you guys are correct in your analysis and if Brian Schwartz is managing them.