Volume 2, Issue 2
January 24, 2002 - February 6, 2002
We are very serious and passionate about what we do," Katalyst drummer David Miller said. "That might sound corny, but it's totally true. We love this stuff."
Katalyst's "stuff" epitomizes the young kid who grows up listening to his favorite bands and dreaming of creating his own, the kid blown away by big industry innovators and musical wizards who push him to practice for hours on end in his bedroom. That kid looks for other like-minded goofballs in the teeming halls of his high school. When they meet, a band is born.
"Dave and I have known each other since we were like, 14," now 23-year-old bassist Mark Skellenger said. Guitarist Matt Kavan rounds out the trio, and by the time he met Miller and Skellenger, they had already begun writing songs together and playing through cover tunes. "We each had our own musical tastes back then as kids and we tried to copy what we heard," Kavan said. "Now we have more chances to explore what's going on in the industry and create our own material for Katalyst."
Skellenger and Miller are enrolled in music degree programs at Metro and CU, respectively. Both feel that being in an academic setting and performing "repertoire" opens up even more opportunities to experiment and broaden their performance chops.
Although Katalyst is the union of three energetic and motivated minds, each member relishes a different segment of the music industry. Kavan grew up listening to a lot of classic rock and Grateful Dead records. Skellenger gravitated more toward Primus, instrumental rock, and the likes of bass guru Victor Wooten. Miller got hooked on pop radio and fed a special interest in the big rock drummers (Neal Peart, Terry Bozzio, Dennis Chambers) and the whole Faith No More/Mr. Bungle experience.
Katalyst was not always the tight three-piece of today. What started as a purely instrumental project moved in a different direction a few years ago with the addition of local percussionist and songwriter Howard Booker Bridges. The sound became softer, the grooves groovier. Since Bridges left the band and is now a solo artist, Kavan has taken over on vocals.
"The instrumental pieces were always fun to do especially when we'd just take off and improvise all over the place," Skellenger said. "With Howard, we were able to learn how to craft songs and work lyrics into the overall mix. Now that we're back to a three-piece, our focus has shifted to getting tighter, shorter, more structured songs and working on the lyrics."
Katalyst just finished recording a six-song EP called Changes that will be available at the end of February. Kavan's lyrics are intricate and positive, hovering thick over his bandmates' prog rock influences or flying along as another busy layer caught in the race. "So Long" opens heavily and quickly contrasts a melodic and quiet section that sets up the pattern for the rest of the song. "Silhouette" is full of Tool tricks and Primus prizes–-odd meters, snake-like bass patters, complex lyrics full of philosophy. Good "stuff."
As Katalyst performs in Denver and throughout the Front Range, it continues the long lineage of technically skilled, driven, brainy rock musicians. The live show is a powerhouse. Check out an upcoming gig and find more at www.katalystmusic.net.
See Katalyst Jan. 24 at Herman's Hideaway, Feb. 5 at Eck's Saloon, Feb. 24 at 1515 Market, and Feb 28 at Iliff Park.
Once upon a time in a far far away place, two little bitty babies were born. First there was the music, and then came the rhythm. Yes, yes, spank was there Spank watched the evolution. They called it hymns, spirituals, gospel, jazz, hip hop, soul, blues, rhythm & blues. Do you wanna be there? Do you wanna be part of that special harmony, that special evolution of things? You can start by joining the Spankollective at Rezodanc on Saturday, January 26. Exsqueeze me, spank who?
The Spankollective ( www.spankdjs.com) is a Denver-based deejay duo consisting of Charlie Koval and Damon Willard. Colorado venues that have already been blessed by their particular blend of fine deep house music include the Rhino Room, Soma, the Zodiac Lounge, Tracks, the Players Club, Sugar, the Snakepit, Tarantula Billiards, and a number of personal computers (via www.radiovalve.com) fortunate enough to be logged into Spank's weekly Internet radio show Hip Tuggin.
Speaking of Rezodanc, have you ever found yourself being kicked out of The Church at two in the morning with nowhere else to go? If the first official weekend day is Friday and Friday technically begins at midnight on Thursday, then Rezodanc is the perfect place to end the week due to its convenient Friday morning hours (twelve to five am). Resident deejays Amtrax, Sean Sewell, and Ty Tek never disappoint but if you really think you can do better, there is a second room for aspiring wannabes.
Rezodanc is located at 1442 larimer behind Blue 67. For further information on upcoming events, give their info line a buzz at 720-946-2636 or visit them in cyberspace at www.rezodanc.com. Special spanks to playing for the city on Straightup Records.
Another dairy dawning Bleary-eyed, I still am yawning Out here the milking matters In the tin pails lactose splatters I see my fair milk maiden At her task with Guernseys waiting And while the city's sleeping Dairy dreams are what we're keeping.
Um, huh? While many musicians fill their songs with sex, drugs, and rock star fantasies, The Milkmen tend to wax poetic on the more lactose-influenced side of life. The background "ooohs" on many songs from Dairy Aire, including the above title track, are actually
"mooos," and the rest of the record is filled with quirky double-entendre and comical bovine word play. This record is not a farce, however, judging from the band's website (www. themilkmen. com), its dedication to milk and milk references, and the caliber of musicians on the record (Steven Solomon guitar, Pat Mastelloto on drums). But, honestly, what is the deal? A few details are certainly relevant for review. Usually I try to limit discussion to the music, but I had to dip into the archives to put this into perspective. The Milkmen seem to be a resurrection from a past era where music and art and performance irony became cool. Avant-garde goofy rock, perhaps. The band's leader, Lory Kohn, has been knocking around the Boulder music scene since the 1970s. That should be enough explanation right there.. Now the music will have fans of The Byrds, The Beatles, The Yardbirds and Cream in hysterics. In fact, I'd be willing to bet the riff on "Dairy Aire" is half of the opening guitar intro (and in the same key) as The Kinks "Tired of Waiting." In fact, Kohn is a great songwriter and obviously inspired by significant classic rock of the past. It's a solid record, albeit a strange one. . Judy B.
First it was Osama, now its Usama. CNN needs a spell checker. | January 24, 2002 . February 7, 2002 GO-GO . 15
Looks Like Me is playing hardball. The band's third CD, Foreword, is fantastic. All 11 tracks are super solid, the production on this record is outstanding. Heavy rock and alt-rock fans around have a lot to listen for from this band. LLM declares its influences to run from Tool to U2 to Pearl Jam to Radiohead, and that is not far from the truth. Lead singer Lance May has a lot of Eddie Vedder in him with moments of Jeff Martin (Tea Party) and Scott Stapp (without the awful tongue-swallowing singing style that perme-ates Creed's records, thankfully). May's voice is huge and automatically engaging. He moves through each track with both emotion and power without becoming overbearing or redundant. The band's style remains centered in a sort of dark, modern guitar rock sound but diverges here and there for a great mix of well-written tunes. "Walk Away" is an enigmatic, brooding and serious song featuring the thunderous drum work of Greg Sands and a beautiful surprise ending from guitar and piano player Quinton Montgomery. Track six opens with a melancholy guitar solo but soon becomes the happy pop rock tune, "Nowhere to Go," suggestive of older Big Head Todd stuff. "Friend" hits harder with big and crunchy power chords and a relentless bass pulse from Brian McClure throughout the verses. Just the stuff we need to sink our teeth into. Although hailing from Colorado Springs, Looks Like Me tours regularly and is already starting work on its next record. The four members clearly love what they are doing. And they do it very well.
See Looks Like Me Feb. 2 at the Flying Dog Brewery (24th and Blake) and Feb. 16 at Cricket on the Hill. Check out www. lookslikemeband. com for more. . Judy B.
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