Westword Music Showcase 2006

Welcome to the twelfth annual Westword Music Showcase. Twelve -- the dirty dozen. Can you believe it? When we launched the first Showcase all those years ago on a rainy Sunday night in LoDo, who would've thought that it would grow to such a mammoth event?

Then again, did anyone ever imagine that Denver music would take such a quantum leap over the last decade, that our scene would become so high-profile? Heck, we still remember being blown away when we found the Fluid's albums mixed in with all those other "national" releases at the local record store. Back then, if you asked most musicians, they would have said that you just couldn't make it out of Denver -- that you had about as much of a chance of getting a record deal as you had of playing at Red Rocks.

How things have changed. These days, local bands are filling Red Rocks and signing deals like crazy. From Morning After Records entering into a partnership with Island Def/Jam, to the Fray climbing to the top of the Billboard charts and selling out nearly every show on its headlining tour, to Rose Hill Drive linking up with Megaforce Records, Denver has become a bona fide music town.

Thing is, we didn't need any record-label execs to validate our scene. The Mile High City has always possessed amazing talent. And we've followed that talent every step of the way. So even as the scene has grown, so has the Showcase. Think last year's lineup was great? Buckle up, pal. It's even better this year, with must-see performances on the Outdoor Stage (including one by Arrested Development), a funkalicious dance party at La Rumba, indie-centric outfits at the Acoma Center, an alt-country superbill at Shelter, a jazz-and-blues blowout at Dazzle, and singer-songwriters at the Bannock St. Garage. Oh, and don't forget about the rock extravaganza at Milk Bar, or the hip-hop hootenanny on Vinyl's rooftop, or the DJ dance party in Vinyl's main room. And if you dare, stop by the punk-and-metal throwdown at Two AM hosted by Maris the Great, which is guaranteed to rip your face off.

You'll wish you could clone yourself to catch all the acts. To help you prepare, we've compiled this Showcase guide. Every performer and group nominated this year was sent a survey; read the answers we received below. For updates, go to www.westword.com.

Enjoy, and we'll see you at the Showcase. -- Dave Herrera

BASHEBA EARTH (Portia Davis)
NOMINATED IN HIP-HOP -- MC

Website: www.bashebaearth.com

Personnel: Timbuk cutz sharp on the 1's and 2's; Eitef (ee-tef) Hotep Vita from Moetavation is the fiery ampman/vocalz/afrikan drumz.

Native or transplant? I am a Pioneer descendant mixed with Blak and Cherokee.

Releases/discography: Just released the Mothership this past spring; have a song, “Bladez of Tongue,” featuring Chuck D., on DJ Phyre Presents Ghetto Manifesto; the song “Undaground Railroad” appears on SoulLovely; and “Horizon” appears on Tommy Tee's Beats, Bonds & Beliefs.

Describe your music in a sentence: Wavez uv galaktik luv waiting 2 bust ur head open.

Do you think you can make it out of Denver? I have actually had the wonderful opportunity to travel; being my home town, I got out of here as fast as I could when I was twenty! New York had much luv for my art, as well as the East Coast and Down South, 2. Spent time in the ATL -- it was fly, fo' sho'! So I been gettin' luv 4 sumtym, grateful and honored 2 have blessed many a stage. Be my pleasure 2 rock plenty more!

What's your idea of "making it"? My idea uv making it is having the ability 2 travel and touch folkz with my galaktik flyness while making a decent living in order 2 have sumthing 2 pass on 2 my kidz, like a healthy planet with oxygen, 4 example.

What local artist(s) are you most excited about? There is ALOT uv talent here in Colorado! I'm no good for competition; I like everybody. I believe in buildin' and not tryin' to battle. I'm feelin' Black P., and Yo, Flaco! and Future Jazz are both tight, and so are Flobots and 5 Style Fist. Dent got skillz, 2. Melissa Ivey is off the hook. DJ Lazy Eye be holdn' it down, and so do DJ Idiom. I'm just old-fashioned like that: I don't believe in being the best, I simply believe in doing ur best.

What albums have had the biggest impact on you? KRS-1, Edutainment; Public Enemy, Yo Bum Rush the Show; Pink Floyd, Dark Side of the Moon; Stevie Wonder (every album he has ever done); Alice Coltrane, Ptah; The El Daoud and A Tribe Called Quest, People's Instinctive Travels and The Paths of Rhythm.

What artists have had the biggest impact on you? Sarah Vaughan, Björk and Tupac.

Myspace: godsend or the devil? I never have time 4 it, but it's a great marketing tool. www.myspace.com/bashebaearth.

Do you have an iPod? If so, who's on it right now? If I had an iPod, I would have Zap Mama's Ancestry in Progress bumpin'.

BLACK LAMB
NOMINATED IN METAL/HARD ROCK

Website: www.blacklambrocks.com, myspace.com/blacklamb

Personnel: Who knows anymore?

Native or transplant? Both.

Releases/discography: hang the moon; the low road; pillar of salt; high and mighty.

Describe your music in a sentence: "Commerce City soul music."

Do you think you can make it out of Denver? Yeah, if you lend us gas money.

What's your idea of "making it"? Making what?

What local artist(s) are you most excited about? Weapons of Ass Destruction. Makeshift Vagina. Munimula. (loif)

What albums have had the biggest impact on you? Cro-Mags, Age of Quarrel.

What artists have had the biggest impact on you? Jerry VanDyke.

Myspace: godsend or the devil? Those dudes are on there? I wanna be their friend!

Do you have an iPod? If so, who's on it right now? We rock a shoulder-full of boombox, bitch! Recognize...(?)

BLACK PEGASUS
NOMINATED IN HIP-HOP -- MC
7 P.M., VINYL ROOFTOP

PETER BLACK
NOMINATED IN DJ: ELECTRONIC/NON-TRADITIONAL
7 P.M., VINYL MAIN

Website: www.myspace.com/rockstarsaredead

Native or transplant? Native.

Describe your music in a sentence: Basshead paradise, anti-everything.

Do you think you can make it out of Denver? Yes. It's all about attitude.

What's your idea of "making it"? Doing what you enjoy and getting paid for it.

What local artist(s) are you most excited about? Laylights, Swayback, Photo Atlas.

What albums have had the biggest impact on you? Anything on the Mo'Wax record label.

What artists have had the biggest impact on you? Fela Kuti and James Lavelle.

Myspace: godsend or the devil? Mindwaste.

Do you have an iPod? If so, who's on it right now? VYBZ Cartel; Sound of Miami: Funk Compilation; Brazilica: Compilation; Baile Funk Compilation; Sounds of Young New York - '80s New Wave compilation; Massive Attack, Blue Lines; Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings; the BellRays; Mad Decent Mix, Diplo (Podcast); Cameo, Best Of compilation.

BOP SKIZZUM
NOMINATED IN FUNK/SOUL
7 P.M., LA RUMBA

Website: www.bop-skizzum.com

Personnel: Bop Skizzum is Andy Guerrero (lead vocals, guitar); Serafin Sanchez (tenor saxophone, keyboards); Joe Ferrone (trumpet); Jeff Valentine (trombone); Tohbias Juniel (drums); Chris Harris (bass). The Bop Skizzum extended family is made up of Simone Bracket and Monica Conway (aka The Simonica) and Mike Friesen (producer, backup vocals).

Native or transplant? Halfsies.

Releases/discography: Reverberating Funk (2001); Waiting For (2004); Propeller (2005).

Describe your music in a sentence: Did you ever see the Funktion in 1996? Like that, but with Serafin.

Do you think you can make it out of Denver? Definitely can. Just waiting for a van and that Westword spread. Call me, Dave!

What local artist(s) are you most excited about? Serafin Sanchez and Jeremy Jones Quintet, 8-trac, Hip-Triplet, Everyone's Pleasure, the U.S. Air Force Falconaires, the Flobots, Psychodelic Zombiez (reunion), Yo, Flaco!, Pure Soul, Tony Black Project, Chilly Willy, After 8, Funktion (circa '96), and we really love the Fray.

What albums have had the biggest impact on you? All the Psychodelic Zombiez albums, Thriller, and Tower of Power's Back to Oakland.

What artists have had the biggest impact on you? Red Hot Chili Peppers, Earth, Wind & Fire, Fishbone, Parliament Funkadelic, Prince, Stevie Wonder.

Myspace: godsend or devil? It's a godsend, slowly eliminating all human-to-human contact. It's a great way to meet and communicate with people outside of Denver. We've got some fans in the U.K.! www.myspace.com/bopskizzum Thanks for the ad!

Do you have an iPod? If so, who's on it right now? Yeah, we got iPods; we've been spinning audio books like crazy. Also: Gnarls Barkley, Chili Peppers, Danger Doom, Charlie Hunter, Kneebody, the Coup and Muse.

BORN IN THE FLOOD
NOMINATED IN INDIE ROCK/POP
7 P.M., OUTDOOR STAGE

Website: www.bornintheflood.com

Personnel: Nathaniel Rateliff, Joseph Pope III, Matt Fox, Mike Hall.

Native or transplant? Transplants.

Releases/discography: The Fear That We May Not Be (Self-released, 2005).

Describe your music in a sentence: The pounding of heads on walls and smashing of vessels once filled. Rejoice.

Do you think you can make it out of Denver? If the van keeps running.

What's your idea of "making it"? We've taken a vow of poverty, so in essence, we've already made it.

What local artist(s) are you most excited about? Joe Samson, aka A Dog Paloma, Strangers Die Everyday, the Milkshakes, and a yet-unnamed project involving Jeff Lindsemeyer.

What albums have had the biggest impact on you? Leonard Cohen, Songs of Leonard Cohen; Minus Story, The King Is Dead, Let the Drum Corpse Dance.

Myspace: godsend or the devil? It comes in waves: I love it, then feel very dirty, end up hating it, yet fall back in love. Overall voyeurism is overrated but somewhat necessary.

Do you have an iPod? If so, who's on it right now? We fear change. Mix tapes all the way.

BREAK MECHANICS
NOMINATED IN HIP-HOP -- GROUP

BUCKNER FUNKEN JAZZ
NOMINATED IN JAZZ/SWING

BUCKSKIN STALLION
NOMINATED IN COUNTRY/ALT COUNTRY

Website: www.buckskinstallionmusic.org

Personnel: Dave Shapiro (telecaster guitar, pianet, vox); Grammy winner John Macy (pedal steel guitar); Brian Schey (bass); Todd Moore (drums); Troy Schoenfelder (vox, acoustic guitar).

Native or transplant? Transplant -- from rural South Dakota to Minneapolis to Colorado.

Releases/discography: Blue Ribbon Buzz (2004). We're currently recording our sophomore effort, looking for an early fall release.

Describe your music in a sentence: Part salt of the earth, part fire in the belly, one hundred percent rousing ruralism!

Do you think you can make it out of Denver? Ah, hell, first we have to make it in Denver.

What's your idea of "making it"? 1) Opening for the Railbenders. 2) Making the money back from recording and distributing Blue Ribbon Buzz. FYI: Still working on the first one (Hey, Jim Dalton, you got my phone number?). According to my accountant, we can consider the second one as "mission accomplished," but we've heard that before.

What local artist(s) are you most excited about? All the bands with the mettle to play the music they choose to play. By the way, have you heard Great American Taxi? Kickin' country rock!

What albums have had the biggest impact on you? Harry Smith, Anthology of American Folk Music; Woody Guthrie, Library of Congress Recordings; Bob Dylan, Basement Tapes and Street Legal; Gram Parsons and the International Submarine Band, Safe at Home; Townes Van Zandt, High, Low and in Between; Neil Young, Ragged Glory; Uncle Tupelo, Still Feel Gone; Whiskeytown, Stranger's Almanac.

What artists have had the biggest impact on you? Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Townes Van Zandt and Uncle Tupelo.

Myspace: godsend or the devil? Great networking tool for bands. I'll have to side with godsend on this one.

Do you have an iPod? Nope.

BUCKWILD
NOMINATED IN COUNTRY/ALT COUNTRY
4 P.M., SHELTER

Website: www.myspace.com/buckwilddenver

Personnel: Rex Moser, Susan Phelan, Carlos Newman -- two bad boys and one very, very bad girl!

Native or transplant? One native (Carlos), two transplants -- Rex is from New York, and Susan is from Indiana.

Releases/discography: We're recording at Module Overload as we speak!

Describe your music in a sentence: Cowboy rock!

Do you think you can make it out of Denver? Hell, yes -- they'll love us in Baghdad.

What's your idea of "making it"? Second base?

What local artist(s) are you most excited about? Susan is excited about the Swanks, the Haggardies and the Blue Blooded Girls. Rex and Carlos are excited about Susan.

What albums have had the biggest impact on you? Rex: Green River, by CCR. Susan: Anything by KISS, Destroyer, Primus, Led Zeppelin, Aretha Franklin or Ray Charles. Carlos: At Folsom Prison: Live, the Highwaymen, Appetite for Destruction.

What artists have had the biggest impact on you? Rex: John Fogerty, Hank Williams and Chuck Berry. Susan: her father, Gene Simmons, Shirley Horn, Junior Brown. Carlos: Johnny Cash, the Clash, the Eagles and Guns 'N Roses

Myspace: godsend or the devil? Not the devil -- just a good-lookin' guy!

Do you have an iPod? If so, who's on it right now? I what?

CAUSTIC SOUL
NOMINATED IN GOTHIC/INDUSTRIAL

COCKTAIL REVOLUTION
NOMINATED IN JAZZ/SWING
9 P.M., DAZZLE

Website: www.cocktailrevolution.net

Personnel: Chad Aman (keys); Artie Moore (bass); Zach Pietlock (drums); Jon Hegel (saxophone).

Native or transplant? We are natives.

Releases/discography: Cocktail Revolution.

Describe your music in a sentence: We play drum-and-bass-influenced urban improv -- music that has the power to grant eternal youth and winning Lotto numbers.

Do you think you can make it out of Denver? So far, we've done quite well outside of Denver.

What's your idea of "making it"? We don't know. It'd be nice to quit our day jobs.

What local artist(s) are you most excited about? Not to sound too kiss-assy, but all the local artists are great (but actually we're the only band on the planet worth listening to).

What artists have had the biggest impact on you? Roni Size, the New Deal, Led Zeppelin, the Streets and Fishbone.

Myspace: godsend or the devil? Addictive as hell.

Do you have an iPod? If so, who's on it right now? I have an iPod, and right now it has a folder icon with an exclamation point next to it -- I think that means it's broken. Damn.

JOHN COMMON
NOMINATED IN SINGER-SONGWRITER
7 P.M., BANNOCK ST. GARAGE

Website: www.johncommon.com

Personnel: John Common (vocals, guitars, keys, samples, songs); Tom Germain (drums, vocals); Kevin Meyer (bass, vocals); Jed Marrs (keys, vocals); various friends (various things).

Native or transplant? I'm a transplant from Pensacola, Florida. The cruel humidity drove me away.

Releases/discography: Good to Be Born (John Common, 2006), The Longest Street in America (Rainville, 2002), Collecting Empties (Rainville, 1999).