Macklemore– Unstoppable

Only a handful of indie hip-hop artists have experienced the meteoric rise to fame Macklemore and Ryan Lewis have. From relative obscurity to the cover of Rolling Stone, the Seattle-based duo is deeply submerged in the spotlight. It’s all moving incredibly fast, but they are apparently enjoying the roller coaster ride. The pair’s latest album, This Unruly Mess I’ve Made, chronicles his growth as a husband and father while juggling the insanity that comes along with his new celebrity status.

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Blues Jam Spotlight: Davy Knowles

Growing up in the Isle of Man, 29-year-old blues musician Davy Knowles learned to play guitar by listening to records he’d find in his father’s collection, which included artists like Irish guitarist Rory Gallagher, Oasis and Eric Clapton. At 19, after sharpening his skills in the local music circuit, he opted to split for America, where he toured with his band, Back Door Slam.

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Blues Jam Spotlight: North Mississippi Allstars

Bringing a little taste of Mississippi country blues to the Greeley Blues Jam, Luther and Cody Dickinson are the two brothers behind North Mississippi Allstars, celebrating its 20th Anniversary this year. Both are the sons of Memphis institution Jim Dickinson, who, along with fronting Mud Boy and the Neutrons, also worked along Aretha Franklin, Kris Kristofferson and Bob Dylan as a pianist and producer. So Cody and Luther have an enviable background. They describe their sound as “blues-infused rock and roll.”

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Blues Jam Spotlight: Chubby Carrier and The Bayou Swamp Band

Blues music is not a homogenous genre. The various sub-genres of blues music are very much shaped by the location they come from. Zydeco, for instance, hails from Louisiana, shaped by French Creole speakers and taking its inspiration from blues, R&B and indigenous music from both Louisiana Creoles and Native Americans. And Grammy Award Winner Chubby Carrier is bringing some Zydeco to the Greeley Blues Jam.

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Album Review: I Am The Owl– A Mission to Civilize: Part I

A Mission to Civilize: Part I is the first EP from Fort Collins punk rock band, I Am The Owl. Staying faithful to punk’s D.I.Y. mentality, the EP was recorded, mixed, and mastered by the band’s vocalist and guitarist, Josh Rivera, with the exception of the drums being tracked by Oliver Mueller of Slow Caves. With well written and executed parts, I Am The Owl is a good reflection of modern punk music.

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Album Review: Gleemer– Moving Away

Loveland, Colorado is a strange place. Situated conveniently on the I-25 corridor, it is simultaneously too far from anything cool and perfectly located between many awesome things to do. A true Colorado city, life in Loveland can be quiet, suburban, and scenic. But like everywhere else, when you mix these things together you get a reaction and often it is an artistic response to the loneliness and the self-imposed isolation of living in what can feel like a suburb of a suburb. The four-piece dream pop outfit Gleemer is that reaction.

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