Volume 3, Issue 25 December 6 - December 19, 2001
by Judy B
The hardest thing, some musicians might say, about being in a band is forming the band. It takes an extraordinary mix of personality, artistic vision, business sense, ego balance, and...oh yes...TALENT to assemble a group of people who get on stage and make magic. Last year, a crew of Denver’s seasoned rock stars found themselves in a living room jamming away and creating an amalgam of sounds that turned out to be The New Majestics. All of the members had been or were still working with other successful bands, and what started out as a simple jam session turned into, well, magic. Drawing from a bevy of local bands, The New Majestics created a sound that uses the strengths and styles of its seven members, but does not conflict with their other musical projects. The New Majestics’sound rings of influences old and new from the greatest of funk, soul and pop.
It was a motley crew. Co-lead singers Zac Coletti and Jennifer Gelvin along with guitarist Stan Shazzam had left The Fabulous Boogienauts, keyboardist Chad Aman lead the defunked Slack, drummer Zach Pietlock and saxophonist Jon Hegel did double duty with Judge Roughneck, and bassist Colin Mitchell came from a blues background and heavy gigging with Emilio Emilio, Sundance, and Men In Blue.
“The response to our band has been great so far,” Coletti said. “Our main focus is songwriting which is different from what a lot of other live bands. We don’t want a ‘show’ just to sell liquor. We want to write great songs. It’s not all about selling records. We want to tell stories.”
The New Majestics’ sound rings of influences old and new from the greatest of funk, soul and pop. Both Coletti and Pietlock feel the band draws from legends like Stevie Wonder, Al Green, Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson (pre-Bad), along with the more updated Brand New Heavies and even the multi-tasking Sting. “All of our influences mix to bring out this modern pop sound,” Chad Aman said. “It’s soulful, but complex. It’s pop and soul, but it stands up to today’s sound.”
The songs range from very pop, radio-friendly tunes like “Cowboy Love Song,” to the super-syncopated funky jam “Plugged.” “Motown,” pays a swift, frenzied tribute to the masters of the past, and “Too Hip for the Room” is a tongue-in-cheek com-mentary on what some musicians experience as “feedback” their audiences.
In just one year The New Majestics have been able to play most of Denver’s great live venues including Herman’s Hideaway, Soiled Dove, Ogden Theater, 1515 Market, and a host of private parties. The band got its feet wet in the studio recording a four-song demo. Pietlock says the next big challenge will be touring, recording and getting their music past the city limits. “Our music appeals to a wide audience, so we’re excited to take it on the road and see what happens.” See The New Majestics at Decades (Dec. 8) and the Soiled Dove (Dec.14). Check www.newmajestics.com for updates and info.
J. Yossi goodman was born in San Francisco on march 19th, 1977. he migrated to Colorado in 1996 to study creative writing at the University of Denver. Four years later, his friend Nigel led him to a barn near Limon for a roofless party called Pegasus. Thank your lucky stars.
Within no time, Yossi began hosting Traxx afterparties that averaged 20-60 kids a week. When maximum capacity was eventually reached, he led the entire afterparty on a field trip to a nearby DU fraternity. The time had come to search for alternate venues. After one final house party with deejay Donovan Cline, the search began.
Back underground, the first event from newly-founded You Know Me Productions, went down on April 21st, 2001 at a warehouse in Boulder. Funky Junkie featuring super hero deejay Jachin followed in August, just after the general manager of Rezodanc after-hours offered Yossi a permanent position. Regular weekend employment could not possibly compromise his already successful underground ventures though, as Justin Johnson headlined the most recent installment Caution in November.
The Breakfast Club, Yossi's most original venture to date, is an after-after hours on
Sunday mornings at a pool hall deli called Tarantula Billiards (1456 Champa). Keep
your eyes peeled for breakbeat goddess m.l.e.'s Breakfast Club debut on December
9th. What else does Yossi have up his sleeve? Midnight, a brand new company
that will provide artist management, dj education, and more high quality
events, will host its first party called Gallery Gathering at the Other
Side Gallery (1644 platte) on Friday December 21.
For more information on Yossi, give his info line a buzz at
303-855-4646 or visit him in cyberspace at www.youknowmeproductions.com
--orange peel moses
Denver solo artist Cody Lee Dopps blurs the boundaries between acoustic rock, electronic sampling, and poetic emo-punk musings with his latest recording. The opening track, "An American Standard," leads with random bits of background conversation meld-ing into Dopps light vocals and guitar strumming. Dopps then adds conga drums and groovy bass to the mellow, magnetic tune.
Trajectory/Interference cannot be summed up as one "type" of record; although it should be said that the entire CD is intelligent, poignant and reveals the depth of Dopps musical talent. Track two, "Actually Ashley," has an updated Bob Dylan feel with a Jerry Garcia lilt to the vocals. It's an odd one because it does not quite fit into the overall sound, but it still comes across as a strong and thoughtful tune. On "A Moment Before I Die," Dopps goes for a more industrial, dark, updated Goth sound. The vocals take a back seat, serving only to highlight the clever mix of electronic beats, acoustic guitars and ethereal harmonies. For melody and lyrics, the best is "Boomerang Boy." Dopps takes on the eternal and burning topic of boy meets girl, summing it up nicely: It's easy to let me go/ when you know I'll always come back.
In much the same way that a Reese's candy bar blends the two different yet enticing flavors of chocolate and peanut butter, so does the new release from Boulder locals Billy Nershi of The String Cheese Incident and Liza Oxnard of Zuba. It's About Time blends two different enjoyable musical talents. Years in the making, this 13-track CD splits the writing credits pretty much 50/50, and it quickly becomes apparent who is behind individual songs. Thankfully, instead of threatening to divide the album, this dichotomy creates a complementary pattern, which keeps the CD fresh from track-to-track. The opening song "Ten Miles to Tulsa," the only song co-written by Nershi and Oxnard, has an old-school, country-meets-Jimmy Buffet sound. Throughout the CD, Billy and Liza trade off vocals and harmonies, which are complimented by the voice of Jilian Nershi, Billy's wife. Both "Shantytown" which features some reggae beats and the instrumental "Buggin' Out" break up the CD's decidedly folk and country feel. It's About Time has what is referred to as the Boulder "jam-band sound" with good reason. Using drummer Christian Teele and bassist Chris Engleman, Nershi and Oxnard's lyrics tell of their different-yet-similar stories of life on the road. Their voices blend creatively and harmoniously to create a rambling story of the ups and downs they have experienced. Fans of these artists individually will enjoy their spectacular collaboration. Judy B.
Having spent most of the past decade as a Buddhist monk studying under Sasaki Roshi high atop Mt. Baldy in Southern California, Leonard Cohen certainly hasn't mellowed with age. The 67 year-old poet/novelist/cynic/crooner/cultural icon has come down from the mountain in true Moses form, clutching Ten New Songs of love, loss, longing and cultural observations.
Considering recent events, his raspy yet soothing voice is a welcome guest in anyone's home. The album's opening cut, "In My Secret Life," takes a cue from current events with a dose of optimism:
"Looked through the paper
Makes you want to cry
Nobody cares if the people live or die
And the dealer wants you thinking
that it's either black or white
Thank God it's not that simple
in my secret life."
Throughout the ten tracks Cohen proves that he's back and still in fighting form, as noted in "A Thousand Kisses Deep":
"I'm turning tricks, I'm getting fixed
I'm back on Boogie Street
The ponies run, the girls are young
The odds are there to beat."
Though it's obvious that Leonard has lost a bit of his range, his at-times hoarse whisper serves to emphasize the gut-wrenching emotion in each and every song. Additionally, he also hasn't lost his penchant for irony as proven with the opening lyrics of "That Don't Make It Junk": "I fought against the bottle/ but I had to do it drunk."
Leonard Cohen's past works have inspired everyone from R. E. M. to Nick Cave and now he's proving that he still has a lot left to say, even if it took nine years to say it.
--Sin
All Rights Reserved © 2001 Go Go Media, LLC, Denver, Colorado