Monday just might be our favorite day of the week. It’s in the top seven, anyway, and that’s because we get to give away free stuff. Steal This Track gives you free, legal downloads of fresh, Colorado-made music every Monday — no strings attached. This week, we’re excited to bring you brand new electronic music from , the melancholy acoustic musings of C.P. Carrington and quirky retro-pop from . Prepare to pilfer!
Colorado native Bobby Collins has been DJing and producing around the Denver area for the better part of a decade. His musical obsession began with the discovery of his stepdad’s guitar when he was eight, and in his late teens and 20s, Collins went on to learn bass, piano, sitar and the instrument that would change his approach to music, turntables. He produced music for films and commercials and made ridiculous music with his band, the Bobby Collins Death Metal Armada. As a DJ, he has become known for his live, inspired mashing of disparate musical sources that keep the crowd guessing — and dancing.
Collins first emerged as a recording artist under the name in early 2009. That same year, he discovered the joys of live video manipulation and started performing the breathtakingly elaborate audio-visual sets that gave him the name Bobby C Sound TV. Check out for examples of that work.
This month, Collins is releasing not one but TWO records under the Bobby C Sound TV name. Gazeebo Records will release his EP, “Midnight Snack,” while gives a home to the full-length, “Future Past.” The latter blends disco, house and techno flavors with a sample-happy aesthetic, lush orchestrations and an overwhelming sense of fun. We’ve had the album on repeat since we got it, and had a hard time picking just one track to share with you. Starting this week, you can buy “Future Past” from the good folks at , but grab yourself a little sneak preview with the party starter, “Times of Trouble.”
We have to admit that we don’t know much about C.P. Carrington. We do know that his first name is Chris, and that he once played in the defunct Denver band, the Build-Up. We know that he’s working on songs for an upcoming PBS documentary about Neal Cassady. We know that his self-effacing sense of humor charmed us from the get-go. And we know that this album, “The Magnificent Resistance,” which was released in late January, is filled with world-weary lyrics, understated instrumentation, prairie soul vocals and desolate, self-aware songwriting. We hope to hear more from Carrington and to see him playing out live some day soon. In the meantime, before you go , check out “New Year” to get an idea of what this promising artist can do.
If the lineup of Denver indie pop act, Hindershot, looks familiar, don’t be confused. Half of the band’s members — singer-songwriter Stuart Confer, guitarist Patrick Kelly and bassist Lucas Johannes — play together in (formerly known as ). Drummer once manned the kit for and Spencer Alred strummed his ax in . Sixth member Jesse Livingston is the freshest face in the group.
But while all those other band names shed some light on where Hindershot is coming from, Confer’s songwriting is the key to the sextet’s unique sound. Bringing together a number of pop sub-genres (e.g. indie pop, power pop) and a clear love of ’90s alt-rock, the band creates multi-layered, occasionally orchestral, dynamic settings for Confer’s literate, observational lyrics that manage to be both confessional and inscrutable.
On Saturday, Feb 26, the band will release a four-song EP called “It’s Only Blood” as part of ‘s Beach Party at the Hi-Dive. For those of you with turntables, two of the songs will be available on seven-inch vinyl. For everyone else, all four songs will be available for download. You can hear a sliver of it here first by stealing “Twisted Tongue.”
If you like Steal This Track, you’re gonna love . We’re taking over the South Broadway indie rock institution on the last Thursday of every month with special guests, giveaways, drink specials and more. This month, we’re thrilled to welcome guest DJs Matt Close (Achille Lauro), Andrew Novick (Warlock Pinchers, Get Your Going), John Common and Jess DeNicola (John Common & Blinding Flashes of Light), and KUSA entertainment anchor Kirk Montgomery. In the later hours, DJ Savior Breath (a.k.a. Reverb’s own Eryc Eyl) will turn the shindig into a pants-dropping dance party. And just like Steal This Track, itap absolutely free. You won’t want to miss it.
Please note that downloads offered via Steal This Track are intended to whet your appetite, and are NOT CD-quality recordings. If you want those, please support the artists by buying their music and/or seeing them live.
If you’re a band or musician ready to expose your fresh sounds to the readers of Reverb, email your tracks — along with any interesting facts about them, as well as a photo or album art — to Eryc Eyl for consideration.
Eryc Eyl is a veteran music journalist, critic and Colorado native who has been neck-deep in local music for many years. Check out every Monday for local music you can HEAR, and the every Friday. Against his mother’s advice, Eryc has also been known to . You can also follow Sorry, Mom.
