by Preston Heffley | May 14, 2021 | Bands
[vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_single_image image=”16031″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text]Spafford are known for their astonishing improvisational ability and off-the-cuff extended jams, Spafford paints a picture in real-time each night with a musical palette known only to each other. It’s a private language comprised of both their talent as musicians as well as their formidable catalog of influences, spanning 90’s alt-rock radio hits to Steely Dan and The Crystal Method. Each Spafford show is a sonic pilgrimage, the journey of a team of musicians so in tune with each other that a single note communicates intent and purpose. Spafford is amongst the most creative and hard-traveling bands on the contemporary jam scene, performing countless sold-out headline dates along with high profile festival sets at Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, Firefly Music Festival, and many others.
– Spafford website[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”16056″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22iMcgBUKpw” align=”right”][vc_btn title=”Website” color=”primary” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fspafford.net%2F|title:https%3A%2F%2Fspafford.net%2F|target:%20_blank|”][vc_btn title=”Facebook” color=”primary” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fspaffordmusic%2F|title:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fspaffordmusic%2F|target:%20_blank|”][vc_btn title=”Instagram” color=”primary” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fspaffordmusic%2F|title:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fspaffordmusic%2F|target:%20_blank|”][vc_btn title=”Twitter” color=”primary” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FSpaffordMusic|title:https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FSpaffordMusic|target:%20_blank|”][vc_btn title=”YouTube” color=”primary” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fuser%2FSpaffordMusic|title:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fuser%2FSpaffordMusic|target:%20_blank|”][vc_btn title=”Spotify” color=”primary” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fopen.spotify.com%2Fartist%2F7fA0IDinGo27lmOeGy6oGV%3Fsi%3D2-549Qc5T7-wAeWd58ClLg|title:https%3A%2F%2Fopen.spotify.com%2Fartist%2F7fA0IDinGo27lmOeGy6oGV%3Fsi%3D2-549Qc5T7-wAeWd58ClLg|target:%20_blank|”][vc_btn title=”Join The Street Team” color=”warning” link=”url:http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blackspymarketing.com%2Fapp%2F|title:http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blackspymarketing.com%2Fapp%2F||”][vc_single_image image=”16032″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_raw_html]JTNDaWZyYW1lJTIwc3JjJTNEJTIyaHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZkb2NzLmdvb2dsZS5jb20lMkZmb3JtcyUyRmQlMkZlJTJGMUZBSXBRTFNlU0NLYllGeXlEeVNvUTVrcnJ6Rk5LZmJnVmw5alR6ZzdGNnFUcTBWeUEzeEVaZ2clMkZ2aWV3Zm9ybSUzRmVtYmVkZGVkJTNEdHJ1ZSUyMiUyMHdpZHRoJTNEJTIyNjQwJTIyJTIwaGVpZ2h0JTNEJTIyMzA2MCUyMiUyMGZyYW1lYm9yZGVyJTNEJTIyMCUyMiUyMG1hcmdpbmhlaWdodCUzRCUyMjAlMjIlMjBtYXJnaW53aWR0aCUzRCUyMjAlMjIlM0VMb2FkaW5nJUUyJTgwJUE2JTNDJTJGaWZyYW1lJTNF[/vc_raw_html][vc_custom_heading text=”Upcoming Events” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_raw_html css=”.vc_custom_1621035537455{margin-left: 30px !important;}”]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[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row]
by Preston Heffley | May 6, 2019 | Bands
[vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]Over the past decade, The String Cheese Incident has emerged as one of America’s most significant independent bands. Born in 1993 in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, SCI has since released 10 albums, 5 DVDs and countless live recordings from their relentless tour schedule. Their 14 year history is packed full of surreal experiences, epic moments, groundbreaking involvement and huge accomplishments. They have been recognized for their commitment to musical creativity and integrity, for their community spirit, philanthropic endeavors, and for their innovative approach to the business of music.
When The String Cheese Incident’s growth first started gaining momentum over a decade ago, the internet was just beginning to take hold and the major-label business model was failing; the band decided then to make music on their own terms.
Since then, The String Cheese Incident has gone on to carve out a completely different approach to the business of music; they are truly pioneers of the new way of “making a band.” With the World Wide Web as their tool, SCI was among the first artists to disseminate information via the internet – such as tour dates, release information, and other news – to their growing fan base. Rather than doing business on such terms as “the bottom line,” The String Cheese Incident put their music and their fans first, offering such fan services as ticketing, travel, and merchandise to best serve their community. The band’s record label, SCI Fidelity Records, has always operated under the same ideals. Even early on, SCI Fidelity embraced downloadable music and file sharing, delivering SCI’s “On the Road” series, where every show the band plays is made available for download on the internet. Whether they realized it at the time or not, The String Cheese Incident was inventing grassroots band development. Today, literally thousands of bands are using some version of this same approach to building a band.
The String Cheese Incident’s commitment goes well beyond their immediate community, and even beyond the music community as a whole. Early on, the band took a serious interest in giving back to the communities that they visited, and they were among the first performers to encourage “Green” shows and tours. SCI’s support has helped give rise to such not-for-profit organizations as Conscious Alliance, Rock the Earth, and Head Count. In 2002, when the band’s right to sell tickets to their own shows became threatened by ticketing giant Ticketmaster, the band stood strong for the independent music community and filed a lawsuit against the company.
All the while, The String Cheese Incident has stayed committed to music as a creative endeavor, not just in their recordings but also in their live performances. The list of SCI’s special guests and collaborators is long and diverse. Their annual events such as Horning’s Hideout and holiday shows such as New Year’s and Halloween have helped redefine the concert experience and has garnered the band a reputation as live music vibe innovators.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”Website” color=”primary” link=”url:http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stringcheeseincident.com|title:http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stringcheeseincident.com|target:%20_blank|”][vc_btn title=”Facebook” color=”primary” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fstringcheeseincident%2F|title:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fstringcheeseincident%2F|target:%20_blank|”][vc_btn title=”Instagram” color=”primary” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fsci_official%2F%3Fhl%3Den|title:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fsci_official%2F%3Fhl%3Den|target:%20_blank|”][vc_btn title=”Twitter” color=”primary” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FSCI_Official|title:https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FSCI_Official|target:%20_blank|”][vc_btn title=”Join The Street Team” color=”warning” link=”url:http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blackspymarketing.com%2Fapp%2F|title:http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blackspymarketing.com%2Fapp%2F||”][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbfMp5YdSDE” align=”right”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”15174″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][vc_empty_space height=”10px”][vc_custom_heading text=”Upcoming Events” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row]
by Preston Heffley | Apr 29, 2019 | Bands
[vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_single_image image=”15135″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text]20 years before the emergence of STS9, NASA sent Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 on a mission to the farthest reaches of the solar system and beyond. Each of these probes was equipped with identical Golden Records, special messages attached to what Carl Sagan called “a bottle launched into the cosmic ocean.” They contained numerous images and sounds from throughout the world, pieces of music from various cultures, a map identifying the location of our planet, and other information for whomever, or whatever, might find them.
While the Golden Records included greetings in 59 languages, they made no mention of nations and borders, wars and rivalries, or anything else that divides us. What they did mention was life, love, peace, birth–the things that bind us to one another and to the planet we call home.
The Universe Inside is a reflection of this message. It is a story about human identity and the magical truth of who we are, where we’re going, and our place in the Universe. It says we are one, made of stardust and the forces of nature that evolved over billions of years. Connected by the sun, moon and stars, we are the living, breathing conscience of the Universe.
“We are one, made from dust of the stars / down here we bear the weight of the pain and the scars / just want to live with nothing to hide / every one of us a universe inside.”
– STS9 FB bio[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”Website” color=”primary” link=”url:http%3A%2F%2Fsts9.com%2F|title:http%3A%2F%2Fsts9.com%2F|target:%20_blank|”][vc_btn title=”Facebook” color=”primary” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fsts9%2F|title:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fsts9%2F|target:%20_blank|”][vc_btn title=”Instagram” color=”primary” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fsts9%2F|title:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fsts9%2F|target:%20_blank|”][vc_btn title=”Twitter” color=”primary” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fsts9|title:https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fsts9|target:%20_blank|”][vc_btn title=”Join The Street Team” color=”warning” link=”url:http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blackspymarketing.com%2Fapp%2F|title:http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blackspymarketing.com%2Fapp%2F||”][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKz1dHYncPs” align=”right”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”15152″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][vc_empty_space height=”10px”][vc_custom_heading text=”Upcoming Events” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row]
by Preston Heffley | Mar 13, 2018 | Bands
[vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]Falling somewhere between rock, jazz and electronic mayhem we find space rock. This is a genre that is not readily defined, and is a state of mind as much as it could be considered a genre. This range of frequencies is where Papadosio tends to spend their time, sometimes dining in deep space, and other times snacking right on your front porch. Papadosio strives to create music that is strangely familiar, and calls all walks of humanity to bask in a unique experience celebrating the one constant in an ever changing world: music.
Join Papadosio in an effort to create, augment, and rejoice in the universal language of music. Most importantly, have a good time.[/vc_column_text][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLH0NTkqflY” align=”right”][vc_btn title=”Website” color=”primary” link=”url:http%3A%2F%2Fwww.papadosio.com%2F|title:www.papadosio.com%2F|target:%20_blank|”][vc_btn title=”Facebook” color=”primary” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fpapadosio%2F|title:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fpapadosio%2F|target:%20_blank|”][vc_btn title=”Instagram” color=”primary” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fpapadosio%2F|title:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fpapadosio%2F|target:%20_blank|”][vc_btn title=”Twitter” color=”primary” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fpapadosio|title:https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fpapadosio|target:%20_blank|”][vc_btn title=”Join The Street Team” color=”warning” link=”url:http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blackspymarketing.com%2Fapp%2F|title:http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blackspymarketing.com%2Fapp%2F||”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”14662″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][vc_empty_space height=”10px”][vc_custom_heading text=”Upcoming Events” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row]
by Preston Heffley | Aug 15, 2017 | Bands
[vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]Unlike rock ‘n’ roll, bluegrass music’s boundaries are often defined in very narrow terms and that has caused some bands to carefully consider their place within the genre. But, in order to survive, everything must evolve… even bluegrass. Enter the Infamous Stringdusters, the very model of a major modern bluegrass band.
“At a certain point in our career, there was hesitation in calling us a bluegrass band,” guitarist Andy Falco admits. “These days, we’re much more comfortable with that label.” Banjo man Chris Pandolfi echoes the point: “We love bluegrass, but we have been influenced by other genres as much, if not more. When it comes to making music, we always try to be a blank slate and give new songs whatever they need to come to life. We just try to make something good, something that is true to who we are.”
On Laws of Gravity, that’s exactly what the Infamous Stringdusters — Andy Hall (dobro), Jeremy Garrett (fiddle), and Travis Book (double bass), in addition to Falco and Pandolfi — have done. Their seventh studio set further proves that the band’s collective whole is far greater than the sum of its individual parts, as the song selection and pitch-perfect performances weighs the Stringdusters’ appeal to traditional fans against their musical quest to attract new listeners. It’s a balance that comes naturally to the band.
Here, trad-leaning tunes like “Freedom,” “A Hard Life Makes a Good Song,” “Maxwell,” and “1901: A Canyon Odyssey” pick hard and soar high, letting trade-off solos and layered vocal harmonies work their magic. As it continues on, Gravity reaches its roots deep and wide, but never sacrifices the wings of the band, as exemplified in tracks like “Back Home” and “This Ol’ Building” which pull from the blues and R&B strands of the Stringdusters’ musical DNA.
“The specific feelings in those songs lend themselves to a soulful sound,” Hall explains. “The longing of ‘Back Home,’ the passion of ‘This Ol’ Building.’ Slowing things down a bit, but still having a real edge and passion is the essence of that. And probably a bit of maturity on our part brings out a more authentic soulful sound.”
Indeed, the Stringdusters have worked hard to become the band they are or, perhaps, the band they wanted and knew themselves to be — a self-discovery process to which Laws of Gravity bears witness. “Once you start to move out of that, a lot of good things happen,” Pandolfi says. “You know who you are, and how to do your thing with confidence and experience. This colors the songwriting process as much as anything. We work so hard on the music, but it’s not hard work. It’s really the payoff, and it comes more naturally with time.”
Letting the past inform and the present propel, the Stringdusters’ style and substance are uniquely Infamous. Since 2007, the band’s ever-evolving artistry and boldly creative collaborations — including Ryan Adams, Joss Stone, Bruce Hornsby, Joan Osborne, and Lee Ann Womack — have pushed them past the edges of traditional acoustic music and carved out a musical niche all their own in the hearts of fans and critics, alike. Over the past couple of years, they released 2015’s Undercover, a covers EP, followed by 2016’s Ladies & Gentlemen, an album featuring multiple female guest vocalists. Those projects may have seemed like artistic tangents, but they actually proved to be a pretty direct route from there to Gravity.
“Being singers and songwriters, we were really ready to put some of our own songs out with us singing them,” Falco says. “In the same way solo projects can take you away to be able to come back and feel refreshed, the last two records have done that and we were ready to hit the studio with our songs sung by us.”
“We had much more of a vision for how we wanted this album to come together than we did with past projects,” Pandolfi adds. “We got the music, including all our individual parts, to a place where we knew we could go into the studio and just let it happen live. We are a band. We play live together and, more than any one song or achievement, this is what we do. Now we have an album that captures that.”
Part of Gravity‘s vision involved not road-testing and adapting the songs before taking them into the studio. That’s a new step in the Stringdusters’ process which starts with filtering through and whittling down a wealth of material to the best of the batch. “We take those 20 or so songs and take them to the next level as a band,” Pandolfi explains. “So much gets accomplished in this writing/arranging stage. It’s where songs become Stringduster songs. In the end, we share the songwriting credit because of all the collective work that goes into this (and every other) aspect of being in a band.”
“We may try the song in a number of different feels before landing on something that works for the sound of the band. If a song is good, it usually comes together fairly quickly,” Halls says, adding, “But we’re writing more diverse stuff these days, so some experimentation is always welcome.”
While the new record boasts a single instrumental track, “Sirens,” where the five fellas really cut loose on their respective strings, the vocals across the other dozen tracks tie this music to the bluegrass tradition in an even more profound way. “Singing is a big part of bluegrass music,” Falco says. “It’s an important part of the sound and I think that part of music gets overlooked a lot. The singing should convey the emotion of the song. That’s what we aim to do. One could argue that it’s more important than the playing.”
Out beyond Laws of Gravity, the Infamous Stringdusters have an even broader vision. “We just want to keep making original music, keep evolving as people and musicians, and continue to help our amazing community of fans grow and enjoy this experience together,” Pandolfi says. “When we hear from people that our music or the community around our music has helped them find joy in life, it makes everything seem very worthwhile.”
Falco adds, “We love playing together and that’s the reason we’ve been doing it for as long as we have. We want to able to do this until we’re old and grey. That’s really it — making music together and continuing to evolve our brand of bluegrass music.”[/vc_column_text][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7iTCru7Umw” align=”right”][vc_btn title=”Website” color=”primary” link=”url:http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thestringdusters.com%2F|title:http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thestringdusters.com%2F|target:%20_blank|”][vc_btn title=”Facebook” color=”primary” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fthestringdusters%2F|title:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fthestringdusters%2F|target:%20_blank|”][vc_btn title=”Instagram” color=”primary” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fstringdusters%2F|title:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fstringdusters%2F|target:%20_blank|”][vc_btn title=”Twitter” color=”primary” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fstringdusters|title:https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fstringdusters|target:%20_blank|”][vc_btn title=”Join The Street Team” color=”warning” link=”url:http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blackspymarketing.com%2Fapp%2F|title:http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blackspymarketing.com%2Fapp%2F||”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”14491″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][vc_empty_space height=”10px”][vc_custom_heading text=”Upcoming Events” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row]
by Jon Eisenberg | Sep 30, 2016 | Bands
[vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]Flitting between moody downtempo and upbeat, densely layered material geared for club play, Colorado’s Pretty Lights was the project of Derek Vincent Smith.
Smith spent his high school years making hip-hop and ultimately dropped out of his freshman year at the University of Colorado at Boulder to focus on his music. He made his recorded debut as Pretty Lights in 2006 with the full-length Taking Up Your Precious Time, which he supported with gigs for acts including STS9, the Disco Biscuits, and Widespread Panic.
From there, he kept up a busy release schedule for the rest of the 2000s, issuing the double album Filling Up the City Skies in 2008 and another full-length, Passing by Behind Your Eyes, the following year. In 2010, Pretty Lights went on an extensive North American tour, playing that year’s Coachella, Ultra, Movement, and Electric Zoo festivals, among other stops. Smith continued touring into 2011 and also developed his Pretty Lights Music imprint, releasing albums by Michal Menert, Gramatik, and Eliot Lipp. In 2012, Smith appeared in the music documentary Re:GENERATION Music Project and began work on Pretty Lights’ fourth album. Instead of sampling existing recordings, Smith worked with longtime drummer Adam Deitch, Soulive’s Eric Krasno, the Harlem Gospel Choir, and members of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and the Treme Brass Band to create vintage-sounding original music that he then refashioned into the Pretty Lights sound. The results were 2013’s A Color Map of the Sun, which became the first Pretty Lights album to be released physically and digitally at the same time.[/vc_column_text][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvyS76n10os” align=”right”][vc_btn title=”Website” color=”primary” link=”url:http%3A%2F%2Fprettylightsmusic.com%2F|title:http%3A%2F%2Fprettylightsmusic.com%2F||”][vc_btn title=”Facebook” color=”primary” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FPrettyLights%2F|title:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FPrettyLights%2F||”][vc_btn title=”Instagram” color=”primary” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fprettylights%2F|title:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fprettylights%2F||”][vc_btn title=”Twitter” color=”primary” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FPrettyLights|title:https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FPrettyLights||”][vc_btn title=”Join The Street Team” color=”warning” link=”url:http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blackspymarketing.com%2Fapp%2F|title:http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blackspymarketing.com%2Fapp%2F||”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”14244″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][vc_empty_space height=”10px”][vc_custom_heading text=”Upcoming Events” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][/vc_row]
