Broken Tongues……Denver Group with flair.
Floating around the Denver scene I came across this fun group.They list themselves as Alternative/Hip Hop/Jazz/Funk/Progressive.
Their new album Crooked Skyline is available from their website, but I asked them to give me a moment of their time to introduce you to them.
How did you get started, little history bio basically?
Greensleeves: Greensleeves and Zach are brothers who formed the band in 2007 right before they moved back to Denver, Colorado from Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Their previous band was breaking up and the brothers decided to take the opportunity to move in a new creative direction. Then in 2008, Loose Change and Greensleeves, both Smoky Hill High grads, met through mutual friends and shared common interests in music. Greens was an engineer at CCM Studios and Loose Change came in to record an initial version of a song he’d just written called “Sunrises” (a current version is on “Crooked Skyline”). The two really vibed so Greensleeves proposed having LC join the group. The three began writing and performing around Denver, but after a couple of shows in early 2009, the three of them realized that they needed to add live instruments to take it to the next level. So they took out some craigslist adds in the Denver area seeking Bass and Drums. Both, Erin and Donny responded and auditioned. The rhythm section, with Zach on guitar, Erin on bass and Donny on drums, formed a nice pocket while Greens and LC scratched and rhymed over vamps. We knew we had something going so the five of us started jamming together regularly. Meanwhile, CC and Zach were working together downtown for a media/music/production firm. They too saw common ground in their musical interests and goals, so Zach invited CC to audition. She killed it and we added her shortly thereafter. Thus, six members. We’ve now been together as a six-piece for just under two years and we just released our debut album titled, Crooked Skyline, which was engineered by Greensleeves at CCM Studios. Be sure to give it a listen, it’s very dynamic and unique. We are very proud of it.
What or who inspired you?
Greens: I would say that we are inspired by lots of things in general, whether it be an emotion that needs appreciation, a situation that deserves attention or just about anything that’s relevant and provokes interesting thoughts. As six members our musical interests and motivations certainly differ, yet keeping an open mind to anything I think is what really helps us find new paths and approaches to song-writing and performing and being people. That’s why we love live-hip-hop as the nucleus of it all, bc it allows us to explore and mix anything we want. I also try to make it a point to find inspiration and motivation in things that are otherwise disagreeable to my opinion of that thing. Whether it be a song or artist I don’t necessarily care for or a crappy weather-day, I think it’s more about being aware of the inspiration that’s always present than dictating where it is and isn’t. I seem to get a lot of random, yet good ideas while doing manual labor too… so does that make it mindless, or mindful work then? haha
Loose Change: My inspirations are very rooted in hiphop culture from the bboys to the graffiti writers. Being friends with some of the best around (RTD, DF Crew, ATT) only makes me want to excel in my area. I’d like to think my style is a melting pot. Inspiration is so hard to pinpoint it could be listening to music and having a great idea or it could be dunking your fries in some ketchup and something just happens to pop up. Everything and nothing is inspiration. I tend to like looking for the dark irony in situations, ’cause, tell ya the truth, I usually like to use the sadness or doubt I might have to express how I feel.
What instruments do you play and who manufactured them?
Loose Change: MC
Greensleeves: MC, Turntables (Technics 1210s & Pioneer DJM 400, Serato), MPD 32 (Akai digital sampler w/ Reason), Macbook Pro, Percussion (shakers, etc)
Christie “CC” Chambers: Vocals, Percussion (djembe, shakers and tambourine)
Zach Warkentin: Guitar (PRS McCarty hard-tail, Vox Tonelab SE, Fender Deluxe amp/speaker)
Erin Angel: Bass, Keys (Fender Jazz Bass, M-Audio Axiom 49 with a Macbook Pro and Logic Mainstage)
Donny Broussard: Drums (Pacific Drums)
What do you listen too?
Greens: Well, we listen to a lot of things! My brother and I grew up on classic rock, funk, jazz, hip-hop, rap, old soul and RnB, metal, comedy albums and everything in between. Remember the Adam Sandler albums? Or when Metallica made great music? Classics! CC grew up on the rock n roll, folk and jam bands,Donny grew up on Bourbon Street, so he’s got that cajun in him, and Ian’s always had a pension for lyrical MCs and hip-hop culture. Personally, I’ve been getting into a lot of the collage-artists and dub-step lately like Bass Nectar, Bonobo, Wax Tailor and Pretty Lights, while I’ve always admired artists like Pink Floyd, Stevie Wonder, EWF, George Clinton and P Funk, The Roots, John Scofield, Beastie Boys, Atmosphere and the whole Rhymesayers crew, Quannum Projects crew like Blackalicious and Latyrx, Common, RJD2, Beck, J5 and Ozomatli, Cut Chemist, DJ Shadow, Greyboy, Kid Koala, QBert, BK-One… I also really get down to that 90s hip-hop like Big-L, Wu-Tang, Tribe, Lost Boys, Brand Nubian and De La Soul… the list could go on for a while. Hell, as an audio engineer I have country clients, tejano bands and gangster rappers too! We all love music and I think there’s appealing qualities in any of its forms. So long as there’s soul in it, I suppose. I also listen to a lot of KUVO and enjoy the big bands, jazz, and afro-cuban styles. My brother Zach certainly listens to a lot of that and Im sure he’d throw out a few names like Wes Montgomery, Brad Mehldau, Rafael Sadiq, Roy Hargrove, Coltrane and Miles, as well as Mars Volta, Radiohead, Rage Against the Machine, etc.
LC: As far as certain artists go I would say people like brother Ali, buck 65, living legends, visionaries, I’m really in to that northwest style like sand people, classified, sweatshop union just to name a few. I love the innovators like Wu-tang, or tribe and de la soul there are so many I could write a full page. People always say I like everything when speaking about genres of music. Well I don’t. I can’t stand country music. I also have a strong dislike for techno or house. It’s weird but I got a strange love for 80’s music, maybe because it was primarily up beat even when the content was not.
What makes you happy? or sad?
Successful performances and making awesome music makes us happy while loading and unloading gear makes us sad…
What do you like to do in your spare time?
Greens: I like just being active in life. I hate being stagnant and inactive. I need to be doing something whether it be a project or just a leisure sport. I love snowboarding and volleyball, drinking good beer, working on musical side-projects and practicing instruments. Smoke ‘n a pancake, bowling, air hockey, bocci ball and corn hole make for entertaining drinking w friends…
LC: In my spare time I love to keep active play bball, hit The gym, write pretty much whatever makes me happy besides making music.
If you could do anything you wanted what would it be?
Greens: Have a lengthy career making music! No delusions of grandeur or fame, just money to live and do what I do best. I’d also love to tour the world and play sold out shows to people with different native languages. Like, being really popular in obscure countries. That’d be pretty rad.
LC: If I could do anything I want it would most likely be traveling around the world playing music, also owning a clothing store (community service apparel). I would love to have multiple stores all over the country and the world to spread a vision my partners and I have been working very hard on.
Anything else you think people don’t already know about you that you want to share?
Our new album, Crooked Skyline, is ON SALE NOW at our website (www.BrokenTongues.com) and it’s the best live-hip-hop since the Roots! Also, Erin Angel and Greensleeves have a music side-project under the name PRESTOdigitist. We have 3 new eps coming out in the spring of 2012 featuring all sorts of styles ranging from Pretty Lights and RJD2, to Lady Gaga (the good shit) and Jay-Z. We also lease and sell exclusive beats and instrumentals regularly in pretty much any genre.
Also, Loose Change owns a really dope boutique clothing store in Denver, off Broadway, called Community Service Apparel. They offer limited edition clothing and great deals on urban gear other stores will not have. Links to all are below. Oh yea, and we have really good night vision and acute hearing.
Check them out!!! Thanks again for your time all.
www.BrokenTongues.com
www.facebook.com/BrokenTongues
www.ReverbNation.com/PRESTOdigitist
www.community-serv.com
Andy Anderson Sartori…..musician and so much more.
I was first introduced to Andy through ReverbNation and what I heard was amazing but what I found out about him was even more amazing. The bio on the website doesn’t tell you all of what makes Andy such a cool person. I recently got to speak with Andy and found out more. He was born in Brazil and has traveled and lived all over. Currently he is living in the US. He says he misses the big city life. Both his parents were musicians, his mother playing the piano and his father playing the acoustic guitar. Andy started playing chords at the age of 9, later taking some classes by the time he was 17 he had joined a band as was playing night clubs. During those days he played things like Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and others. By the time he became 20 he was playing from 8 in the morning till 10 at night. “If music is a drug, I’m addicted.” He is hungry to play as he told me.
Andy is not only a musician but composer, writer, arranger and producer. He likes his music to have a positive message. His musical roots go back to classical music. Mozart is his favorite, after that comes Vivaldi and Bach. His metal inspirations come from Deep Purple, Uriah Heep, Black Sabbath, Heaven and Hell to name just some of them. Andy explained that the likes the melodic qualities of these groups. When he listens to music he prefers vinyl over CD’s, like most rockers I know who say the sound quality is deeper from vinyl.
In his spare time he says he is an organizer but he is also a designer. Making and designing bracelets, buckles, belts and more. “It’s my hobby.” One of the other thing I was surprised by when talking with Andy was that he made his own guitars. Your passion is music why not, although one of his guitars was made by Brazilian guitar maker Leandro Copetti of Copetti Guitars .
Andy loves his fans and as he told me, they are what make you. He’s a real true person and he has a great attitude and he is personable to his fans. You can’t alienate your fans then you will have nothing he told me. It’s a privilege to be playing and doing what I love for my fans.
Andy and his Band are managed By Full Force Entertainment’s James McComas.
They have just finished a master version of their album, FORGED BY FIRE.
If you are into Progressive/Metal/Rock you should check it out.
Thanks again to Andy for taking the time to chat with me.
Myspace page.
LinkedIn
YouTube
Listen. Music. Sound 
Dream Aria……exciting and awesome from Canada.
Dream Aria made received “Top Band of the Year” from MySpace recently, and with the vibe they send out it’s not surprising. I just recently sat down and listened to their latest album “Fallen Angel” and indeed I was blown away. They are listed as Rock/Progressive/World Music/Alternative
I got the chance to ask Ann a little bit about the band and here is what he shared.
How did you get started, little history bio basically?
Don Stagg (composer/keyboardist/executive producer) started the project in 2003 I believe and I joined the band in April of 2004. Don found me on the internet as a “singer for hire”. I feel very blessed that he contacted me! He was already working with Garry Flint (drummer/engineer/producer) on a number of songs. They had me come in to have a listen and I loved what I heard. I did an audition of sorts and started writing and recording with them that very day. The rest is history! The music started out more classical and evolved to progressive rock with elements of new age, ambient, goth and world music. Don had also hired Jozef Pilasanovic on guitar and Garry was writing and recording bass and drum parts. Our first cd was “In The Wake” as this lineup. For our second cd “Transcend”, we hired new guitarists: Steve Agelakos, Kurt Schefter, Mark Crossley and Tim Welch. We then brought bassist Jon Casselman on board for bass. Lonnie Glass played bass on the song “Compassion” and Alberto Suarez played congas on the same tune. “Transcend” was a bit ‘heavier’ and more of a ‘focused’ sound that truly became our own. “Fallen Angel”, our newest release, is a bit heavier than the others but remained our signature sound. We added even more guitarists to our ‘all-star’ lineup. Kurt and Tim played on quite a few tracks and we also hired Mark Crossley, Rob Masiokas for the song “The Gift”, Mike Phelps on “Abstract Relations”and Mark McClay on “Carnival of Souls”. Dream Aria would not be the same without any of the members of the band. They are all integral creative forces. Their professionalism and awesome personalities add so much to the mix!
What or who inspired you?
Personally, I have many inspirations. Life lessons, artists, animals, dancers, singers and all musicians and music in general! I grew up listening to classical music, then Crystal Gayle, Abba, as well as many of the rock to hard rock bands of the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. Some of my favorites were Toto, Deep Purple, Streetheart and the Scorpions. I also listened to some New Age including Andreas Vollenweider. As for the rest of the band, I know some of the musical influences are Peter Gabriel, Old Genesis, Debussy, The Beatles, Progressive Rock and more.
What instruments do you play and who manufactured them?
As a singer, I only use a mic, whatever is handy in the studio. I don’t pay attention to the make or model etc. I just sing and let Garry do the engineering.
{Don Stagg keyboard player uses Korg Karma/Roland Fantom/Yamaha Motif}
What do you listen to?
I listen to the bands I listed in question #2. Currently I also listen to Chris Botti, DcTalk, Queen City Kids, Kansas and an ecclectic mix of many others depending on my mood.
What makes you happy? sad?
Many things make me happy, such as good company, great food, all kinds of music (listening to and creating), art (viewing and creating it), dance (watching and also dancing myself), people who overcome obstacles, my family, all animals (especially dogs), learning new things, helping others, inspiring others, warm sunny days, traveling, exploring, reading thrillers and inspirational books, watching good movies, flowers, chocolate, tea and so on! What makes me sad is any kind of abuse towards people, animals and the earth.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
Many of the things I listed in question #5, but most of all, spending time with my beautiful angel daughter, my family and my dog.
If you could do anything you wanted what would it be?
Have enough money to help everyone who needs it and to inspire and help others as much as possible.
Anything else you think people don’t already know about you that you want to share?
Check out ReverbNation, MySpace, Facebook, Dream Aria.
I’m a little ‘firecracker’ but would never hurt a fly!
Thanks again to Ann for taking the time to talk to us.
December 19, 2011 | Categories: Alternative, Commentary, Interview, Music, News, Progressive, Rock, World Music | Tags: Alternative, Dream Aria, Music, Progressive, Rock, World Music | Leave a comment