Television Generation's New EP Fuchsia + Their Move Into the Denver Music Scene

By: Claire Woodcock

Will Hayden (vocals/guitar), Katy Johnson (bass), and Anthony Elio (drums) split from Boulder for the Denver area after their respective exits from CU, where Television Generation came to be. That was in 2012, when the EDM scene was exclusively big in Boulder and there was little wiggle room in the music scene for a punk rock presence.

"I think Boulder has a problem with being a transient kind of place,” said Hayden. “Tons of people go [there] for college; these people come and most of them go. People just move away. And a lot of the bands that we saw pop up when we were in college are no longer active.”

Television Generation.

Television Generation.

TVG set their sights on the Denver scene and recorded their first EP If Only I Had A Brain with Mammoth Cave Recording Studios in 2013. After some feedback from producer Lance Bendiksen (The Fray), Hayden and Elio broke out the metronome and put more hours into mastering their ’60s pop, ’90s grunge, alt rock energy. Johnson joined TVG a few months after the band released their second EP Digital Static (2015), a release that includes a track called “Space Invaders” mixed by Jack Endino from Nirvana.

A year later, Television Generation has released their third EP Fuchsia with Todd Divel of Silo Sound Recording Studio in Denver. Hayden says they went into their first session thinking that they would only have time to lay down one or two tracks. But the result was an EP’s worth of tunes recorded over the course of just a few hours. It could have been the Simpsons references exchanged between TVG and Divel that kept things grooving. Or it could have just been, as Johnson said, “We were having a really good day.”

Check out Television Generation’s latest EP, Fuchsia:

Fuchsia operates on a sliding scale between garage rock, post-punk, super punk, (if that were legitimate genre) and alt rock. Television Generation told me they drew inspiration for this release from The Beatles, The Who and most notably, Sonic Youth. Johnson employs a Kim Gordon-esque style on Fuchsia by creating a lot of garage rock noise and manipulating the distortion and delay pedals to produce all kinds of uncomfortable, yet totally satisfying feedback in the middle of pop songs.

Will Hayden of TVG.

Will Hayden of TVG.

Back on the subject of the Denver scene, Hayden said that when Johnson joined the group, the trio started checking out other punk acts, which has become a huge support system for TVG.

“That’s what a music scene is and should be.” said Hayden.

Branching out from Boulder to Denver allowed TVG to not only meet talented bands, but to get a sense of the quality of the younger bands popping up from all over the place.

“The flux of people to Colorado probably helps because there's a lot of fresh blood out here and they're looking for places to play, and that's kind of what I was saying about Boulder [being transient],” said Hayden. “There are a lot of people coming in from out of state obviously for the weed and all that, and a lot of people see it as a bad thing, but I think it's really good for the music [scene]. It brings in a lot of fresh, excited people and I think that’s what we haven’t seen in years past: that excitement in people finding local bands. There’s enough talent and enough people interested, so let's blow it up as much as we can.”

TVG thinks that these trends in the Denver music scene will only continue to soar.

“We could make Denver the new Seattle.” Hayden added, with enough conviction in his voice that the possibility could someday be true.

TVG.

TVG.

This Sunday, November 6th, Television Generation will ‘Rock Against Trump’ at Seventh Circle Music Collective with an anti-Trump CD release show, featuring a whole laundry list of bands in the Denver punk scene. If you’re looking to rage the day before the election, this is where you should be. Proceeds will be donated to the Standing Rock protesters and Amnesty International.

Keep up with Television Generation here.

-Claire

All photos, videos, and embedded tracks per the artists featured and those credited. This feature was edited for brevity and clarity by BolderBeat.

Exclusive Premiere: Stream Ethan Griggs' Debut EP, 'Transient'

By: Hannah Oreskovich

Born and raised in Colorado, Denver’s Ethan Griggs has been playing in the local music scene since he was just 15. The success of his first project, Youth In Conflict, propelled Griggs and his bandmates into a number of shows around the state, and even garnered the attention of Ryan Tedder (OneRepublic), who called Griggs’ work “instinctive”. After entering the Denver School of the Arts, Griggs turned his attention to Clusterfolk, an outfit of theatre punks and musicians that played music on just about any instrument and object they could find. Clusterfolk actually went on to play the Bluebird and the Gothic, and Isaac Slade (The Fray) once called their sound “drunk, but in the best way possible”. Most recently though, Griggs has been focusing on a solo release, which BolderBeat is stoked to premiere for you today:

Listen to Ethan Griggs’ debut solo EP, Transient:

Transient is five tracks of in-your-ear tastiness. Recorded DIY lo-fi in Griggs’ bedroom and basement over the past two years, Transient gives us a real look into what Griggs is capable of in his solo career. Griggs described the album as, “filtered through the psychedelic sounds of original groups like The Beatles… as well as the sludgy-neurosis of modern groups like Deerhunter and Tame Impala”. Still, it’s evident on Transient that Griggs has managed to create a work all his own, with a psych-mashup of buzzy guitar riffs, reverb-drenched vocals, powerful percussive builds, and songwriting that you find yourself listening to intently without even trying.

“I am so glad to finally share this piece of work,” said Griggs, “There’s a lot of my own personality and my own reality in this record, and I’m excited for people to get to know me better through it.”

Transient was mastered by Corban Roberts at Tessitura Studios, and though Griggs did everything else himself on this release, he does have a band for live performances. Known as Ethan Griggs + Sonder Ensemble, Griggs’ live group features Sam Beard on bass and Seth Cross on drums while Griggs takes on vocals, lead guitar, and piano.

Ethan Griggs.

Ethan Griggs.

Griggs managed to stretch Transient into almost 30 minutes in just five tunes, but you won’t even notice. “Transient”, the title track, opens the record with an instrumental build that slowly envelopes Griggs’ trancey vocals with a catchy, melodic chorus. From there, you’ll find yourself caught in the swells of his sounds on “High Tempered” and you’ll question whether or not “Snowsun” is a hidden track on Sung Tongs that you somehow missed. Though there a couple of rough vocal patches on “Mind Gardening Girl”, this track will still transport you into a world of warm 70s vibes that you’re not sure you want to leave. And “Sun Still Shines” feels like The Beach Boys are playing underwater somewhere at a party you’re wandering through while you drink rainbows and crush on your date from afar. Take the trip already. Listen to Transient.

Transient, which will stream exclusively on BolderBeat for the next week, will be released for digital download Friday, September 30th hereFollowing that, Griggs has plans for a CD Release Show at the end of the month, which we will announce once there is more information.

Make sure to check out this inventive Colorado artist, and keep up with all things Ethan Griggs on his website.

-Hannah

Follow Hannah on Instagram and Twitter.

All photos, videos, and embedded tracks per the artists featured and those credited. This feature was edited for brevity and clarity by BolderBeat.

Colorado's Divide Music Festival Just Announced Their Beer Lineup- And Let's Be Real- It's As Important As The Music:

At Colorado's Divide Music Festival this summer, the beer is going to be local and delicious.

The Divide Music Festival makes its debut against Colorado’s Continental Divide with three-days of entertainment, outdoor activities and amazing camping grounds. Adding to the lineup of event happenings is Colorado’s best and brightest craft beers, local food artisans and some of the finest crafters from around the state. The Divide Music Festival is creating a truly unique festival featuring the best-of-the-best from Colorado.

This year, the Divide Music Festival is teaming up with three major Colorado craft breweries to offer a range of styles for tasting enjoyment. For the beer connoisseur, this year’s inaugural festival is showcasing the following flavors to make this event the ‘hoppiest’ music festival set in the Rocky Mountains:

Special brews will be showcased and served for VIP ticket holders. Tickets for the three-day VIP experience are $345 and include exclusive seating and shaded areas, front stage access, special beer samples, separate restrooms and other amenities.

“We are extremely excited to be working with this great group of Colorado craft breweries,” said Jason Ornstein, owner, Team Player Productions. “They not only produce some of the finest craft beers nationally, but they are also huge supporters of the Colorado community. Only at The Divide Music Festival will you find this magnitude of Colorado craft beers being served to our anticipated 35,000 attendees from around the country.”

The music lined up for The Divide Music Festival is just as diverse as the Colorado craft breweries. From Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros, Kid Cudi and The Fray to Blondie, Miike Snow and AMZY, the talent will have people dancing for days. Additional musical acts to hit the stage over the three days include: Bleachers, Cake, JR JR, Passion Pit, Saint Motet, The Coteries, Foxfield Four, Gasoline Lollipops, Gipsy Moon, Kayla Marque, Medic, Modern Suspects, One Flew West, Paper Lights, Popfilter, Redlands, Rumours Follow, Skylaw, Splyt and more. 

Don’t Miss This Inaugural Festival

Music, craft beers, camping, local food trucks, outdoor activities, and Colorado artists make the Divide Music Festival “the must-attend music fest” of the summer. Every music lover and outdoor enthusiast will love the line-up of music and events planned. From exploring nature with hiking, biking, and yoga classes before your music adventures to car camping and RV camping – this event offers the most well-rounded experience for all guests.

For more information on tickets, food/drink, camping, and the full line-up, visit dividemusicfestival.com.

Stay tuned for more information on Divide Music Festival throughout the summer from BolderBeat.

Colorado's The Divide Music Festival Announces Summer Lineup

THE DIVIDE MUSIC FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES LINEUP FOR INAUGURAL THREE-DAY MUSIC AND CAMPING FESTIVAL IN WINTER PARK, COLO JULY 22-24, 2016

KID CUDI, EDWARD SHARPE AND THE MAGNETIC ZEROS, THE FRAY, CAKE, PASSION PIT, BLONDIE, MIIKE SNOW, BLEACHERS, SAINT MOTEL AND JR JR WITH MORE SPECIAL GUESTS TO HIT THE MUSIC FESTIVAL STAGE

TICKETS ON SALE NOW

The Divide Music Festival announced today the star-studded line-up for the highly anticipated mega-concert and outdoor experience taking place July 22-24, 2016 in Fraser Valley, Colo. This year’s lineup will feature Kid Cudi, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, The Fray, CAKE, Passion Pit, Blondie, Miike Snow, Bleachers, Saint Motel, JR JR and more. The festival will also include surprise guests and local Colorado favorites.

The inaugural weekend-long concert and camping experience will kick off Friday, July 22, 2016 and conclude Sunday, July 24th. Attendees will have the opportunity to attend one-day performances or stay at the designated RV and tent-camping grounds for the three-day event. Event producers, Team Player Productions, have put together an eclectic mix of performers from Grammy Award-winning hip hop artist Kid Cudi to Billboard Music Award-winner The Fray. In addition, fans can hear from indie folk musicians like Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Swedish psychedelic pop group Miike Snow, and all-time American favorite rock band Blondie. Attendees will also have the opportunity to participate in outdoor thrills including mountain bike tours, guided trail runs, morning yoga sessions and other group-inspired activities. The event will also feature the finest Colorado craft beers, local food vendors, and crafters and artisans from across the country. 

“We are creating a one-of-a-kind experience where world-class artists and music fans from across the country gather in the Colorado Rocky Mountains for a weekend of unforgettable fun,” said Jason Ornstein, owner of Team Player Productions and founder of ‘The Divide Music Festival’. “We’re excited to present this impressive lineup of national stars and local fan-favorites. With unbelievable performances and collaborations, this year’s initial event will be an unparalleled experience for music-lovers of all ages.”

Beginning today, three day passes will be available at dividemusicfestival.com starting at $145. A limited number of VIP packages will also be available while supplies last. Daily passes will be offered at a later date starting at $55. 

The Divide Music Festival is proud to partner with Grand Foundation, a philanthropic organization serving all of Grand County, Colorado. The Foundation seeks to improve the quality of life in Grand County by proactively addressing current and future needs in the areas of health and human services, arts and culture, education, amateur sports, and environment. A portion of ticket sales will be donated to this organization to help support their efforts today and in the future. 

For more information on artists, volunteer and sponsorship opportunities, hotel accommodations, VIP offerings, and ticket information including pricing, visit dividemusicfestival.com.

Artists and/or event are subject to change or cancellation without notice. 

We Talked to The Fighter and The Kid About Their Upcoming Denver Stand-Up Shows, CO Music, & More

By: Hannah Oreskovich + An Interview By David Landry

This is a duo you don't want to miss. 

You may know actor/writer/comedian Bryan Callen and former professional football player, UFC fighter, and Colorado native/CU alum Brendan Schaub best from their podcast “The Fighter and The Kid”, which garners over 3 million downloads a month. I first heard the comedic duo on The Joe Rogan Experience, which prompted me to dive into their hilarious and wildly successful show. Recently, the two announced that they’re hitting the road together for a nationwide stand-up tour, starting at the Irvine Improv in California this Wednesday, March 16th. We were hoping for a Colorado date, and lucky for us, WE GOT FOUR, the most shows of anywhere that these riotous dudes are scheduled to perform.

Our contributor David recently chatted with the duo about their upcoming stand-up tour, Schaub’s time at CU, Colorado music, and more. So get ready to roar this Friday and Saturday at Comedy Works Denver South, because if our conversation with these two is any indication, it’s going to be one hell of a weekend at the CW. Keep reading, and for the full audio interview, scroll to the bottom and listen up:

D: How yah doing gentleman?

C: Just a couple of men on a Friday morning.

Schaub & Callen. 

Schaub & Callen. 

D: Haha great. So you have a really fantastic podcast. It’s really funny and it seems really natural, like you guys just have fun talking and laughing with each other. How did y’all meet and build that chemistry and create something like this?

S: We’ve always kind of had that chemistry, from day one. I met Brian on the set of The Ultimate Fighter in Vegas and I’ve always been interested in the entertainment business. Bryan is one of the pioneers for that out here [in LA] so when I moved out here, he took me under his wing. He asked me to come on his podcast and we had this weird chemistry, so it was Brian’s idea to start this thing and, man, I was never expecting it to become what it has.

C: Yeah- you never know if something is going to become successful. But we are two guys who are hanging out and talking the way we would anyway- and that’s the big thing. We’re not planning anything. We just go and talk. And when we have someone on as a guest, we’re not trying to interview them…. They’re part of a conversation. There’s no filter.

S: Yeah we have no agenda. We can talk [with our guests] about whatever we all want to talk about. We’re just hanging out. I think a lot of people tune in because [it’s like] they’re one of the guys. A lot of people in this business want the love from everybody, but that’s not the way to go. And that’s how I know a show is good- if we get a bunch of bad comments or good comments, as long as they’re comments, it’s good because then we know they care about what we’re saying.

C: It’s true. In comedy, if 20% of the audience is a little disturbed or maybe doesn’t even like you that much, then you’re doing your job. If everybody likes you, then you’re just one of those comics up there smashing watermelons or something, with all due respect.

S: Yeah I’m thinking about smashing fruit at our next live show Brian. I’m running out of material…

C: I’m already all over it.

D: I think as long as you wear a cabbie hat and a mustache for that, you’ll be fine. So talk to us about this radical tour ya’ll are about to start on March 16th.

S: We start in Irvine and then we head to my hometown of Denver.

D: So Brendan you’re from Colorado? You grew up here and are from the Denver area?

S: Correct- I grew up in Aurora, Colorado and I went to Overland High School, and then I went to University of Colorado where I played football for four years.

D: That’s fantastic. I didn’t know you grew up in Colorado as well. Is that a reason you are doing four shows at Comedy Works Denver on March 18th and 19th?

S: Yeah that’s usually not our game plan. Usually what we do is one city, one night, one show- a big show- in like 800-900 [person] theatres. But in Denver at Comedy Works… I mean I’m from there so I’d like everybody who wants to see it to be able to see it, and it’s Denver. I know they’re going to come out and support, so that’s kind of the plan here.

C: A lot of times we’ll do a show and sell out really quickly but the bummer is we have to turn a bunch of people away and we’re like look, we’re in Denver, let’s just do four shows and see what happens.

D: That’s awesome.

S: Oh and it’s my birthday March 18th!

D: So the 18th show is going to be like a nude show? Everyone’s going to be in their birthday suits?

S: Yeah the only way you’re going to get in is with a birthday suit and a positive attitude. 

Callen preparing to get into his birthday suit. 

Callen preparing to get into his birthday suit. 

D: I’m glad we’re on the same page. So BolderBeat is a music news and entertainment website. Brendan- growing up in Colorado, who were some of the local bands and artists that you were listening to? And what were some of the places you’d go hang out in with your football buddies?

S: I remember one of the [local] bands who was really huge in highschool and college was The Fray. They were awesome. As far as other Colorado bands, I worked security at The Fillmore, The Gothic, and Red Rocks in college so I was around a lot of the music industry… And as far as where we hung out, I was in the typical Boulder spots: The Sink, Pearl Street.

C: Yeah some really big bands have come out of [Colorado] right? Like Big Head Todd [& the Monsters]?

D: Yeah and The Samples. So when you guys go out and do a performance of “The Fighter and The Kid” live, are you going out and doing the podcast?

S: See that’s where people make a mistake. A lot of the bigger podcasts in the podcast world go out and do these live shows, but “The Fighter and The Kid” live show is not a live podcast... it’s a live experience, it’s an entertainment show. It’s not like the podcast. But if you like the podcast, you’ll love this. We get pretty wild and have some fun.

C: Yeah we kind of surprise each other too. We like to throw things in there and get crazy.

D: Nice. So your podcast is weekly- are you still doing the podcast while you are on the road since y’all are on tour until May?

S: Yeah we always find time to get it done. The podcast is our mothership and home base and we know that not everyone can make it to these live shows. We realize that. So people can still bank on two podcasts a week, that’s for sure.

C: Always. Without fail.

D: Cool. Can you tell us one of the weirdest things that has happened to y’all while you were traveling on tour?

C: One time this woman got up and accused Brendan of proposing to her and there was this weird moment in the audience. She was like, “You asked me to marry you.” And she was um… she was the worst. She looked like Brendan with a wig. And Brendan was like-

S: -yeah we do open forum fan questions at the end where it’s a live mic, so you can’t really censor those. So we’ve had some pretty interesting questions. It makes it fun though. That’s how we end every show.

C: Then it’s like $10 to touch us and $15 to have sex with us.

50 Cent allegedly paid $20 in Vitamin Water to touch Callen and Schaub. 

50 Cent allegedly paid $20 in Vitamin Water to touch Callen and Schaub. 

D: Well gentleman, I don’t really have any more questions. We know you’re playing Comedy Works South in Denver this weekend. Anything else you’d like to add?

C: We’re excited.

S: Last time I was in Denver, I was fighting in an octagon for the UFC, so this performance, I think, is going to be a little more fun.

D: Well hopefully there will still be a knockout.

C: Brenden and I are going to do some light sparring on stage, some light sparring.

D: Can’t wait.

Get your tickets to the show while you still can! Buy them here.

Listen to our full audio interview with The Fighter and The Kid:

We’ll see you at Denver Comedy Works South this weekend peeps.

-Hannah & David

All photos, videos, and embedded tracks per the artists featured and those credited. This feature was edited for brevity and clarity by BolderBeat.